# The scribes followed a line-edge convention > Most likely: The scribes followed a line-edge convention: a gallows glyph (p, t, k, f) prefixed to the first word of a paragraph, a single glyph (s, y… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/answers/ANS0DCBK96J79DQ/the-scribes-followed-a-line-edge-convention Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Voynich Manuscript](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript)[Why do spellings change at the end of a line?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST0D8K275R7MNB/why-do-spellings-change-at-the-end-of-a-line)Answer Answer · Voynich Manuscript # The scribes followed a line-edge convention The scribes followed a line-edge convention: a gallows glyph (p, t, k, f) prefixed to the first word of a paragraph, a single glyph (s, y, d, t) prefixed to the first word of other lines, and -m (less often -g, -d) in place of -r, -l, -in, -iin at the end of a line. These are spellings of the same words, not different words. **Most likely** Answers **2** questionsInductiveTested0 ## Where it stands **Most likely** Its tests supported it: two pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## What it predicts - At least 80 % of the rules learned on half E replicate on half C (edge share at least twice the inside share, within-page shuffle z >= 3). - Normalising the line-edge words with those rules removes at least half of the information line position carries about a word's first and last glyph on half C. ## What would rule it out - Fewer than half the rules replicate on half C, or normalising removes less than half the line-position information. ## Evidence 2 for · none against [46 spelling changes at the edges of lines](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/evidence/EVD0DCC12KJ6WS5/46-spelling-changes-at-the-edges-of-lines) Established · weighs heavily · F-119 FOR [Normalising them removes most of the line effect](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/evidence/EVD0DCC12VC4858/normalising-them-removes-most-of-the-line-effect) Supported · weighs heavily · F-120 FOR ## Tested by 2 runs | Run | Measured | Result | Against | Decision | Date | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | RUN-250 | half-E line-edge rules that replicate on half C (ratio >= 2, z >= 3) | 42 of 46 | Within-page shuffle per rule | Supported | 28 Oct | | RUN-251 | share of the line-position information removed by the normaliser (half C) | 68 % | Raw 0.1042 / 0.0589 · normalised 0.029 / 0.0224 · interior 0.0164 / 0.0059 · Latin in the same lines 0.003 / 0.002 | Supported | 28 Oct | ## The questions it answers [Why do spellings change at the end of a line?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST0D8K275R7MNB/why-do-spellings-change-at-the-end-of-a-line) Part of [What did the line and page add?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG78TG4W5X/what-did-the-line-and-page-add) Most likely-m is a line-final form of -in / -n [What did the line and page add?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG78TG4W5X/what-did-the-line-and-page-add) Part of [How was the text produced on the page?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG6BH02GE7/how-was-the-text-produced-on-the-page) Most likely-m is a line-final form of -in / -n ## Cite it ``` Mysteries Department. (2026). The scribes followed a line-edge convention [Answer ANS0DCBK96J79DQ]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DCBK96J79DQ ``` Key **ANS** 0DCBK96J79DQ Kind Answer · hypothesis Origin Inductive, from the layoutnorm method Checks 3 of 3 passed Proposed [Session 10](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/sessions/SES0DCB54T02Y53/session-10-the-layout-layer-literature-and-question-audit) · 28 Oct 2026 Version 1 Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Every record is open data. Take this one as JSON, with its links and its history. [JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/api/v1/records/ANS0DCBK96J79DQ)