Yet Another “Decipherment” of the Isthmian Writing₂ System

Abstract

The <em>qW</em> &lt;&lt; 0:1 condition hypothesis is formulated as an estimating quick test for the feasibility of a structurally unique and therefore uncontroversial decipherment<br />of a given morpho-phonographic writing₂ system. In order to support this hypothesis it is shown that &ndash; beside the &ldquo;Epi-Olmec decipherment&rdquo; by Justeson and Kaufman (1993) based on pre-proto-Zoquean and despite the claim of the same authors that the data does not fit a Mayan language model &ndash; it is also possible to consistently &ldquo;identify&rdquo; the language behind the Isthmian writing₂ texts as proto-Huastecan. The conclusion is thus that there is no <em>epigraphic</em> evidence for the Mixe-Zoque hypothesis (i. e. that the Olmecs and/or the so-called Epi-Olmecs spoke a Mixe-Zoquean language).<br />After giving a general introduction into the fi eld, the main treatise has a bipartite structure: Chapter 2 is the overriding part and deals with the above-mentioned topics, while the appendix &ndash; actually a separate paper (and as such it will be presented) &ndash; contains the &ldquo;decipherment&rdquo; of the Isthmian writing₂ system based on the &ldquo;Huastecan hypothesis&rdquo; presented as a what-if study (videlicet what if the author were unaware of the arguments discussed in ch. 2).