Javanese Alphabet, aka "hanacaraka" Options

[purnomor]

If you go to Solo or Yogyakarta, you still can see street signs and public buildings using both Latin and Javanese alphabets.
In schools in Central Java and Yogyakarta, children were first taught Javanese alphabet and Javanese language before they are taught Latin alpahabet and Indonesian language.
In remote village of Pantaran, villagers preserve Javanese alphabet by writing their names in that alphabet in the front gates of their houses.

Basically there are 20 characters which is called Dentawiyanjana, namely:

(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/hanacaraka1a.gif)
(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/hanacaraka1b.gif)

There are additional sandangan meaning "clothes" to transform the above characters into different vowel sounds:

i(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/i.gif)

u(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/u.gif)

é(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/e1.gif)

o(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/o.gif)

ê(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/e2.gif)


Pangkon meaning "lap"

(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/pangkon.gif)

Pangkon is used to kill off the vowel of a syllable, for example:

With pangkon
(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/macan.gif) is read "macan" = tiger

Without pangkon
(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/macana.gif) is read "macana"


http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/hanacaraka.html

This post has been edited by purnomor: Aug 12 2004, 12:15 PM

[purnomor]

(IMG:http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/alphabet/java-old-script-3.jpg)
More complete version of "sandangan"

(IMG:http://www.omniglot.com/images/writing/javanese_num.gif)
Javanese numerals




(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/book1a.gif)
(IMG:http://www.joglosemar.co.id/hanacaraka/book1b.gif)
A storybook in Javanese alphabet telling tales of wayang (shadow-puppet) which are based on Hindu and Buddhist sources.




(IMG:http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/images/java-old-LP1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/images/java-old-LP2.jpg)
Javanese version of "Our Father" prayer

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-...nese-huruf.html

This post has been edited by purnomor: Aug 13 2004, 12:29 AM

[Nusantara]

Any clue how many persentage left in Javanese society still write, read and understand their own sankscript. My preference javanese should keep this being studied at school in Java. otherwise It could be extinct replaced by latin written language which is not the root of Javanese culture.

[purnomor]

^ bcoz the javanese alphabet is still taught at schools, i guess there's still quite a lot who can read it, though i dunno the exact percentage. do you in riau studied any different alphabet?

[dalawapo]

it is very pretty and elegant! um i'd like to know if indonesians know arabic script? and are taught the arabic scripts as the majority of you are muslims?

[purnomor]

If you study in secular govt schools or Christian schools like I did, you don't. Maybe if you study in Islamic school you'll need to learn Arabic language and alphabet. I think in Aceh or Riau schools, you need to learn Jawi (Arabic) alphabet, but not language, bcoz there they traditionally use Arabic alphabet to write the Malay or Acehnese languages.

This post has been edited by purnomor: Aug 13 2004, 12:03 AM

[Nusantara]

^ bcoz the javanese alphabet is still taught at schools, i guess there's still quite a lot who can read it, though i dunno the exact percentage. do you in riau studied any different alphabet?

Not anymore, before Indonesia independent several decades ago Riau used to have arabic script. Now totally replaced by latin written. Personally i prefer Riau still use it so kinda bi-writing.
Heard some ironic issue in turkey where as the turkish can not read anymore their great old book in libarary written by turkish before they change into latin.
They need to invite pakistan, persian or arab just to read and translate for them that book. where as the persian and pakistan gain advantage right now preserving their own script but also using latin.

[purnomor]

^ really, bcoz my cousin in kelas 5 SD who lives in pekanbaru gotta study jawi (arabic) alphabet as muatan lokal.. a skill she is keen to show off to her cousins..

actually indonesia has many indigenous alphabetical systems, but there's almost no literature published in those alphabets anymore. now with otda, the local govts should do something to increase the use of these alphabets. it'll strengthen national identity and pride, just look at india, thailand, or cambodia..

[dalawapo]

the philippines had a writing script throughout the philippines, and it looks sorta similar to buginese script. so i think that is one of the theories to the origins of the indic script of the philippines. does anyone know about buginese?

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-...g-baybayin.html

This post has been edited by dalawapo: Aug 13 2004, 12:28 AM

[Nusantara]

hmm, they may changed the lesson package now, since the greater rule for province perhaps they put arabic alphabet need to be studied on public elementary school. I think it's must be case by case depend on the school policy. Also every friday right now public school in Riau have to use Riau Malay dressing as what they said muatan local.

[purnomor]

the philippines had a writing script throughout the philippines, and it looks sorta similar to buginese script. so i think that is one of the theories to the origins of the indic script of the philippines. does anyone know about buginese?

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-...g-baybayin.html

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-bugis.html
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/lontara.htm


Examples of "Our Father" prayer in Bugis alphabet:
(IMG:http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/images/bugis.jpg)

Li'l explanation on Bugis alphabet:
(IMG:http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/alphabet/buginese.jpg)

[dalawapo]

thanks man! i remember learning that the american term "boogeyman" which today refers to a scarey ghost who scares you derived from the bugis, because the american G.I's came across the fierce warrior bugis ppl and the American soilders made a play on the tribe's name and created boogeymen!

is that true?

[purnomor]

not sure, but i think boogeyman should be an older term than when American GIs were around (World War II??), maybe it's the Dutch who were scared of the bugis bcoz of their fierce resistance and tendency to pirate Dutch ships (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Nusantara]

yes, actually boogeyman term was spread initially by british colonialist since they always got attacked by bugis people by jumping from their ship to british ship using the rope with long knife to attack the briton.
Even after British settle down in Singapore, bugis get special previllage to transport comodities from island to another island. And Bugis when they arrive into the singapore port at those time to trade with briton their goods have to stay in the port because briton know very well the hot temper of bugis.

[purnomor]

Balinese Alphabet, very similar to Javanese alphabet

http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/alphabet.htm

Examples:
(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/chars/kadep.gif) = Kādep (sold)

(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/chars/patut.gif) = Patūt (should be)

(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/chars/jero.gif) = Jěro (house)

(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/lib/briag.gif) = Briag (laughter)

(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/chars/omsanti3xom.gif)
= Om Şanti Şanti Şanti, Om (May peace be everywhere)

(IMG:http://www.babadbali.com/aksarabali/chars/no-space.gif)
Balinese poem

This post has been edited by purnomor: Aug 13 2004, 01:17 AM

[dalawapo]

^ hehe oh thanks for correcting the history! (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) so the bugis are very good boat builders right?

@ that omniglot website on bugis it says there is a Makasar script, is that a different people?

u know the island off the coast of africa known as "Madagascar"? the first settlers of that island were said to come from indonesiann islands who sailed all the way over to madagascar some 2,500 + years ago, i wonder if there is some origins with makasar? but lingustically, the madagascar language is most closely related to the Ma'anyan tribe of kalimantan, Ma'anyan are dayak tribes right?

[purnomor]

@ that omniglot website on bugis it says there is a Makasar script, is that a different people?

that's bcoz this particular alphabet is used to write not only the Bugis language, but also the Makassar and Mandar languages, altogether different ppl dan languages, but generally still spoken in the province of South Celebes. So some might call it makassar, or even mandar script :genius:

u know the island off the coast of africa known as "Madagascar"? the first settlers of that island were said to come from indonesiann islands who sailed all the way over to madagascar some 2,500 + years ago, i wonder if there is some origins with makasar? but lingustically, the madagascar language is most closely related to the Ma'anyan tribe of kalimantan, Ma'anyan are dayak tribes right?

Maybe not, i'm not really sure (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/icon_confused.gif) but i think dayak ppl arrived in indonesia earlier than other ethnicities incl makassarese, who came later from Yunnan (China) around 500 BC

[purnomor]

Even after British settle down in Singapore, bugis get special previllage to transport comodities from island to another island. And Bugis when they arrive into the singapore port at those time to trade with briton their goods have to stay in the port because briton know very well the hot temper of bugis.

Yes i remember in singapore there's a place called "Bugis Junction" (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[dalawapo]

@ that omniglot website on bugis it says there is a Makasar script, is that a different people?

that's bcoz this particular alphabet is used to write not only the Bugis language, but also the Makassar and Mandar languages, altogether different ppl dan languages, but generally still spoken in the province of South Celebes. So some might call it makassar, or even mandar script :genius:

u know the island off the coast of africa known as "Madagascar"? the first settlers of that island were said to come from indonesiann islands who sailed all the way over to madagascar some 2,500 + years ago, i wonder if there is some origins with makasar? but lingustically, the madagascar language is most closely related to the Ma'anyan tribe of kalimantan, Ma'anyan are dayak tribes right?

Maybe not, i'm not really sure (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/icon_confused.gif) but i think dayak ppl arrived in indonesia earlier than other ethnicities incl makassarese, who came later from Yunnan (China) around 500 BC

cool, i learned that the indigenous dayaks of borneo are classifed as proto-malay of indonesia, just like the indigenous igorots of luzon and lumads of mindanao are also proto-malays of the philippines. And they are all survivors of the inital austronesian expansion into all the islands south of taiwan, which is what i learn is the origin of all Austronesian. & the Proto-malay they were unconquerable so they preserved the indigenous culture.

and i believe all other tribal ppl of the islands are merely Proto-malay who change as a result of interactions with foreigners who influenced the native cultural/language/genes.

so like i believe we are still prodominately the same ethnicity tho.

but you believe all the other ethnicities come from southern china and are different from proto-malay?

[purnomor]

^ yes, at school I was taught that ppl come to Indonesia in three waves:
1. Melanesians came around 100,000 yrs ago. Their remnants can be found in Sumatra (Kubu ppl), while they still lives in large numbers in Papua, Maluku, and Timor

2. Proto-Malays, came around 20,000 yrs ago, pushed back the Melanesians, their remnants are the Dayak, Suku Anak Dalam, and other nomadic tribesmen deep in Sumatra and Borneo jungles

3. Deutero-Malays, came from Yunnan around 5,000 yrs ago, already knowing superior technology (have stone, metal, and iron appliances). These Deutero-Malays became the mainstream ethnic groups in Indonesia today (Javanese, Malays, Bugis, Batak, etc)