Linguistic Archaeology: those ZigZags on cave walls

 Zig-Zag in almost every language

1. ZigZag
2. sigsag
3. zīgizagi
4. mutaearij
5. *CJC (assamese)
6. ziqzaq
7. sigi-saga
8. zihzahapadobny
9. Jigajyāga
10. cik-cak
11. ziga-zaga
12. kukhotakhota
13. Zhī zìxíng
14. cikcak
15. siksak
16. zigzagi (esperanto)
17. vinkkura
18. zigzaguer
19. sigesage
20. ziguezague
21. zigzagi
22. Zickzack
23. zink zank
24. Jhigajhēga
25. vakr
26. cikcakk
27. sikksakk
28. berbiku-biku
29. Jiguzagu
30. menggak-menggok
31. Aṅkuḍoṅku
32. *C*CARP (konkani)
33. jigeujaegeu
34. xaromar (kurdish kurmanji)
35. G*CGAC (Kurdish sorani)
36. obliquum (latin)
37. līkloču-
38. zigzagas
39. zickzack
40. *C*C (maithili)
41. liku-liku
42. sigsāg
43. żigżag
44. kopikopiko
45. Jhigajhĕga
46. *CJC* (Meiteilon manipuri)
47. sikksakk
48. ZGZA* (pashto)
49. ZYGZAG (persian)
50. zygzak
51. Zigazaiga
52. *C*C (sanskrit)
53. sigsæg
54. sag-sag
55. bulak-belok
56. songombingo
57. Jikjāk
58. H*GHAG (tatar)
59. Gajibiji
60. Sik sæk
61. *G*GMG*R (tigrinya)
62. zikzaklı
63. zyhzah
64. ZGZYG (urdu)
65. ngoằn ngoèo
66. igam-ogam
67. gbọngangbọngan
68. amazombe


Popularity of Use
A       %      E      %       I       %      O       %        U         %
53    79%   13  19%    44  65%    14    20%      13  19%

B       %      C      %       D       %      F       %        G         %
8    11%      12  17%     2     2%      0     0%       34   50%

H       %      J      %       K       %      L       %        M         %
7    10%      9  13%     23    34%   5      7%        8     11%

N       %      P      %       Q       %      R       %        S         %
8    11%     2     2%       2      2%      6     8%       12  17%

T       %      V      %       W       %      X       %        Y         %
2     2%       2    2%       0      0%      2     2%        6      8%

Z       %
23  34%



Popularity of use
79% A:
65% I, A:
50% G, I, A:
34% K, Z, G, I, A: zikzaklı, ZigZag, zīgizagi, ziga-zaga, zigzagi (esperanto), zigzagi, żigżag, ZGZA* (pashto), Zigazaiga
20% O, K, Z, G, I, A:
19% U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: ziguezague,
17% S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: *C*C (sanskrit), sigsæg, sag-sag, Sik sæk, sigsāg, sikksakk, sikksakk, zigzagas, siksak, sigesage, sigsag, sigi-saga, Zickzack, cikcakk, G*CGAC (Kurdish sorani), zickzack, *C*C (maithili), cik-cak, cikcak,
13% J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: *CJC* (Meiteilon manipuri), Jikjāk, Jiguzagu, jigeujaegeu, *CJC (assamese),
11% N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: ngoằn ngoèo, igam-ogam, gbọngangbọngan, amazombe, songombingo, Gajibiji, zink zank, menggak-menggok,
10% H, N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: Jhigajhĕga, H*GHAG (tatar), Jhigajhēga,
8% Y, R, H, N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: zyhzah, zygzak, ZYGZAG (persian), ZGZYG (urdu), Jigajyāga, berbiku-biku, *G*GMG*R (tigrinya), zigzaguer,
7% L, Y, R, H, N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: liku-liku, bulak-belok, līkloču-,
4% P, L, Y, R, H, N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, O, K, Z, G, I, A: kopikopiko, *C*CARP (konkani)
2% X, V, T, Q, D, P, L, Y, R, H, N, M, B, J, S, C, U, E, E, K, Z, G, I, A: Zhī zìxíng, xaromar (kurdish kurmanji), vinkkura, vakr, mutaearij, kukhotakhota, ziqzaq, obliquum (latin), zihzahapadobny, Aṅkuḍoṅku,
0% W, F


Conclusion: Originating in the A-I-G linguistic subgroup, The G suggesting at this point some minor relation to caves (caves originating in the A-G linguistic subgroup) but if that is the case we would expect to find caves with zigzag artwork in proximity to Korean rivers (which originate in the N-G Linguistic subgroup).

The earliest zig-zags occur at 34% zikzaklı (turkish), ZigZag (english), zīgizagi (amharic), ziga-zaga (catalan), zigzagi (esperanto), zigzagi (georgian), żigżag (maltese), ZGZA* (pashto), and Zigazaiga (punjabi).
This is followed by a developmental bandgap at 20% before Zig-zags return at 19%. Zig-zags peak in popularity at 17% before declining down to 1%.