Research Article
A Computational Analysis of the Indus Script: Identifying Sign Functions in Logo-Syllabic Writing Systems
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International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
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| Volume 187 - Issue 64 |
| Published: December 2025 |
| Authors: Ruhan Khanna, Louie Merriam |
10.5120/ijca2025926075
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Ruhan Khanna, Louie Merriam . A Computational Analysis of the Indus Script: Identifying Sign Functions in Logo-Syllabic Writing Systems. International Journal of Computer Applications. 187, 64 (December 2025), 19-22. DOI=10.5120/ijca2025926075
@article{ 10.5120/ijca2025926075,
author = { Ruhan Khanna,Louie Merriam },
title = { A Computational Analysis of the Indus Script: Identifying Sign Functions in Logo-Syllabic Writing Systems },
journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
year = { 2025 },
volume = { 187 },
number = { 64 },
pages = { 19-22 },
doi = { 10.5120/ijca2025926075 },
publisher = { Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA }
}
%0 Journal Article
%D 2025
%A Ruhan Khanna
%A Louie Merriam
%T A Computational Analysis of the Indus Script: Identifying Sign Functions in Logo-Syllabic Writing Systems%T
%J International Journal of Computer Applications
%V 187
%N 64
%P 19-22
%R 10.5120/ijca2025926075
%I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract
A key challenge in deciphering any logo syllabic writing system is to distinguish signs that represent complete lexical units (logograms) from signs that represent syllables. The Indus script is widely assumed to be logo syllabic, an intermediate system in which some signs encode whole words or concepts, others encode syllables, and some function polyvalently depending on context. This ambiguity complicates decipherment: a single grapheme may serve as a word in one inscription and as a syllable in another. This study proposes methods for separating these classes. To begin, one basic premise is assumed: signs that appear alone in inscriptions must be capable of expressing a complete semantic value and hence are the strongest candidates for logograms. Building on this “singleton” premise, the candidate logogram set was expanded by contextual co occurrence, associations were validated statistically, and distributional relationships were then mapped among signs and sign pairs. A second component develops an exclusivity based procedure for identifying likely syllabic pairs. The results demonstrate several key categories of Indus signs.
References
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- Sinha, S., Izhar, A. M., Pan, R. K., & Wells, B. K. (2011). Network analysis of a corpus of undeciphered Indus civilization inscriptions indicates syntactic organization. Computer Speech & Language, 25(3), 639–654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csl.2010.05.007
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