# Entropy, word order and phrases are not layout effects > With the layout layer normalised or cut away, three departures from language are unchanged on half C: glyph entropy 2.08 / 2.04 bits (languages from… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/evidence/EVD0DCC13365Q8C/entropy-word-order-and-phrases-are-not-layout-effects Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Voynich Manuscript](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript)F-121 Evidence · Voynich Manuscript # Entropy, word order and phrases are not layout effects With the layout layer normalised or cut away, three departures from language are unchanged on half C: glyph entropy 2.08 / 2.04 bits (languages from 2.49), word order worth 0.34 / 0.27 bits a word (languages from 1.11) and no repeated four-word phrase (Latin in the same lines 123-233). They are not layout effects. EstablishedObservationConfirmatory0 ## What it means Key question[What kind of text is it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it) Most likely: a notation or memory system **Most likely** unchanged Answer this evidence bears on[The departures from language are not layout effects](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/answers/ANS0DCBK9EC66BZ/the-departures-from-language-are-not-layout-effects) Supportsweighs heavily · 1 for, 1 against **Disputed** unchanged Answer this evidence bears on[The layout layer hides some language structure](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/answers/ANS0DCBK9P60TRR/the-layout-layer-hides-some-language-structure) Counts againstweighs heavily · 1 for, 1 against **Most likely** unchanged ## Next steps 5 1 ACH sensitivity without a second rater: drop each finding in turn and shift each diagnosticity one step, and report which rankings move. A blinded rating by an independent model run, clearly labelled as such, can stand in until a person rates. ~4 h [On: What kind of text is it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it) **—** not judged 2 Add human-made meaningless text (the Gaskell and Bowern 2022 samples) as a null text in the battery and the signature tests. ~6 h [On: What kind of text is it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it) **—** not judged 3 Second rater for every evidence link, then ACH sensitivity (drop each finding, compare raters). ~6 h [On: What kind of text is it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it) **—** not judged 4 Paradigm classes against slot simulators with held-out stem-ending prediction (F-103). ~12 h [On: What kind of text is it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it) **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes[All 5 on the question](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/questions/QST08JG1S1G6D9T/what-kind-of-text-is-it#next) ## How it was found 1 run [Layout tests on half C: rule replication, line-position information, language signatures under normalisation, line crowding: four departures from language under raw, normalised and interior…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/runs/RUN0DCABK5Y035Y/layout-tests-on-half-c-rule-replication-line-position) Method [Layout tests on half C: rule replication, line-position information, language signatures under normalisation, line crowding](https://mysteriesdept.com/methods/MTH08JFXHSC0ATX/layout-tests-on-half-c-rule-replication-line-position) · [Session 10](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/voynich-manuscript/sessions/SES0DCB54T02Y53/session-10-the-layout-layer-literature-and-question-audit) 28 Oct **Result.** Not supported (coupling is inside the language range on raw half C already). Four departures from language under raw, normalised and interior versions of half C**raw: h2 2.13, gain 0.31, coupling 0.086, 4-gram repeats 0; normalised: h2 2.08, gain 0.34, coupling 0.059, 4-gram repeats 0; interior: h2 2.04, gain 0.27, coupling 0.045, 4-gram repeats 0** Not supported (coupling is inside the language range on raw half C already) [ZL3b transcription](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT08JFZFSR41PZ/zandbergen-landini-transliteration-zl3b-eva-ivtff-2-0-13-may)[Exploration split](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT08JFZJQG5X29/exploration-confirmation-split-by-bifolium-106-101-pages-sha)[Line-edge rules learned on half E (46 minimal alternations at paragraph start, line start and line end)](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT08JFZJZA6C4T/line-edge-rules-learned-on-half-e-46-minimal-alternations-at) ## Cite it ``` Mysteries Department. (2026). Entropy, word order and phrases are not layout effects [Evidence EVD0DCC13365Q8C]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DCC13365Q8C ``` Key **EVD** 0DCC13365Q8C Kind Evidence Tier Established Weighs Heavily Found in [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/EVD0DCC13365Q8C)