The inscription seems to be a version of shorthand or a phonetic script. At the same time it reads curiously like a mobile telephone text message from the future. The names are written out in full use Old Scottish spellings, in accordance with 19th century tradition. The reason for the use of Greek symbols is less clear, as is the choice of text in general. Another small Biblical inscription in similar phonetic form lies elsewhere in the churchyard. The size of the tombstone suggests that penny watching was not an issue for the client.

“Our impression is that someone, possibly William Winchester, was a devotee of phonetic writing,” said Keith Mitchell, president of the Moray Burial Ground Research Group. “Sir Isaac Pitman had issued a text on phonology around 1840 and we wonder if this person was making a statement.” Efforts to establish just why the family may have done this have as yet uncovered no fresh evidence.