Linguistic Archaeology: the secret of Ink

 Ink in almost every language

1. Ink
2. Bojë
3. k’elemi
4. habr
5. T’anak
6. Tinta
7. Mürəkkəb
8. čarnila
9. Kāli
10. mastilo
11. inki
12. Mòshuǐ
13. inkoust
14. blæk
15. *n* (dhivehi)
16. inkt
17. inko (esperanto)
18. tint
19. muste
20. encre
21. inket
22. melani
23. Tinte
24.  meláni
25. Śāhī
26. lank
27. tawada
28. DJ* (hebrew)
29. aaeeenake
30. inc
31. blek
32. dúch
33. inchiostro
34. Inku
35. Śāyi
36. sïya
37. tuk thnam
38. *e (konkani)
39. ingkeu
40. mirkeb (kurmanji kurdish)
41. R*NC (sorani kurdish)
42. sıya
43. muk
44. atramentum (latin)
45. encre
46. rašalas
47. yinki
48. Tënt
49. ranomainty
50. dakwat
51. mashi
52. linka
53. waituhi
54. Śā'ī
55. *n (manipuri)
56. bekh
57. mhain
58. Masī
59. blekk
60. inkii
61. RNG (pashto)
62. J*ER (persian)
63. atrament
64. Si'āhī
65. cerneală
66. chernila
67. vaitusi
68. M* (sanskrit)
69. Enke
70. MS (sindhi)
71. tīnta
72. črnilo
73. khad
74. mangsi
75. wino
76. bläck
77. sijoh
78. Mai
79. CY* (tatar)
80. Sirā
81. H̄mụk
82. DBM (tigrinya)
83. mürekkep
84. syýa
85. chornylo
86. QYAHY (urdu)
87. QIYAH (uyghur)
88. siyoh
89. mực
90. i-inki
91. uyinki



Popularity of Use
A      %     E     %      I      %     O      %       U        %
40 44%    25 27%   46 51%  11 12%      16 17%

B      %     C     %      D      %     F      %       G        %
10 11%    12 13%   6    6%     0     0%      3      3%

H      %     J     %      K      %     L      %       M        %
19 21%    5   5%      31 34%    17 18%    22   24%

N      %     P     %      Q      %     R      %       S        %
43 47%    1   1%       2    2%    20 22%      21 23%

T      %     V     %      W      %     X      %       Y        %
18 20%    1   1%      4    4%      0    0%       12 13%

Z      %
0    0%



Popularity of use
51% I:
47% N, I: *n* (dhivehi), *n (manipuri),
44% A, N, I:
34% K, A, N, I: Ink, inki, inkii, i-inki,
27% E, K, A, N, I: aaeeenake, *e (konkani), Enke,
24% M, E, K, A, N, I: M* (sanskrit), Mai,
23% S, M, E, K, A, N, I: Masī, MS (sindhi), Śā'ī,
22% R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: Sirā,
21% H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: mhain, Si'āhī, Śāhī, mashi,
20% T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: atrament, tīnta, inkt, tint, inket, Tinte, Tënt, T’anak, Tinta,
18% L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: rašalas, linka, meláni, lank, melani, Kāli, k’elemi,
17% U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: Inku, tuk thnam, muk, atramentum (latin), H̄mụk, muste,
13% Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: syýa, mực, uyinki, CY* (tatar), cerneală, chernila, Śāyi, sïya, encre, yinki, R*NC (sorani kurdish), sıya, encre, inc, čarnila,
12% O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: chornylo, siyoh, ranomainty, črnilo, inko (esperanto), inchiostro, Mòshuǐ, inkoust, mastilo,
11% B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: blekk, bläck, bekh, blek, mirkeb (kurmanji kurdish), Mürəkkəb, blæk, habr,
6% D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: khad, DBM (tigrinya), dúch,
5% J, D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: J*ER (persian), sijoh, Bojë, DJ* (hebrew),
4% W, J, D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: waituhi, wino, dakwat, tawada,
3% G, W, J, D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: RNG (pashto), mangsi, ingkeu,
2% Q, G, W, J, D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: QYAHY (urdu), QIYAH (uyghur),
1% V, P, Q, G, W, J, D, B, O, Y, C, U, L, T, H, R, S, M, E, K, A, N, I: vaitusi, mürekkep,
0% Z, X, F

Conclusion: The discovery of ink is in the I linguistic group. Peaking in use at around 13% before declining down to 1%. One would think it significant enough to identity an ancient document. Or its use in tattoo body art.