A Vowel Harmony Testing Algorithm to Aid in Ancient Script Decipherment

Previous algorithms for deciphering lost languages assumed knowledge of cognate languages. Since that is not always possible a priori, this paper develops an algorithm that can test an important feature of the underlying language, namely the presence of vowel harmony in root words. The new algorithm detects this type of vowel harmony in the Minoan language, thereby greatly narrowing its possible set of cognate languages.