Editing Batak script (section)

==Structure==

Batak is written from left to right and top to bottom. Like all Brahmi-based scripts, each consonant has an inherent vowel of {{IPA|/a/}}, unless there is a [[diacritic]] (in Toba Batak called ''pangolat'') to indicate the lack of a vowel. Other vowels, final ''[[Eng (letter)|ŋ]]'', and final velar fricative {{IPA|[x]}} are indicated by diacritics, which appear above, below, or after the letter. For example, ''ba'' is written '''ba''' (one letter); ''bi'' is written '''ba.i''' (''i'' follows the consonant); ''bang'' is written '''ba<sup>ŋ</sup>''' (''ŋ'' is above the consonant); and ''bing'' is '''ba<sup>ŋ</sup>.i'''. Final consonants are written with the ''pangolat'' (here represented by "#"): ''bam'' is '''ba.ma.#'''. However, ''bim'' is written '''ba.ma.i.#''': the first diacritic belongs to the first consonant, and the second belongs to the second consonant, but both are written at the end of the entire syllable. Unlike most Brahmi-based scripts, Batak does not form consonant conjuncts.