Template:Short description Template:EngvarA Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox writing system Template:Writing systems in Indonesia Template:Contains special characters Template:Brahmic
The Batak script (natively known as Surat Batak, Surat na Sampulu Sia (Template:Lit), or Sisiasia) is a writing system used to write the Austronesian Batak languages spoken by several million people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The script may be derived from the Kawi and Pallava script, ultimately derived from the Brahmi script of India, or from the hypothetical Proto-Sumatran script influenced by Pallava.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
The Batak magicians and priests or datu used the Batak script mainly for magical texts and divinatory purposes. It is unknown how many non-specialists were literate in the Batak script, but judging from the widespread tradition of writing love laments, especially among the Karo, Simalungun, and Angkola-Mandailing Batak, it is likely that a considerable part of the non-specialist population was able to read and write the Batak script. After the arrival of Europeans in the Batak lands, first German missionaries and, from 1878 onwards, the Dutch, the Batak script was, alongside the Roman script, taught in the schools, and teaching and religious materials were printed in the Batak script. Soon after the first World War the missionaries decided to discontinue printing books in the Batak script.<ref>Kozok 2009:168.</ref> The script soon fell out of use and is now only used for ornamental purposes.
OriginEdit
The Batak script was probably derived from Pallava and Old Kawi scripts, which ultimately were derived from the Brahmi script, the root of almost all the Indic and Southeast Asian scripts.
StructureEdit
Batak is written from left to right and top to bottom. Like all Brahmi-based scripts, each consonant has an inherent vowel of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, unless there is a diacritic (in Toba Batak called pangolat) to indicate the lack of a vowel. Other vowels, final ŋ, and final velar fricative {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 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 baŋ (ŋ is above the consonant); and bing is baŋ.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.
Basic charactersEdit
The basic characters are called surat. Each consonant has an inherent vowel of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. The script varies by region and language. The major variants are between Karo, Mandailing, Pakpak/Dairi, Simalungun/Timur, and Toba:
Alternate forms:
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^1{{#if:| }} File:Batak Na-2.svg (used in Mandailing)
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^2{{#if:| }} File:Batak Wa-1.svg
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^3{{#if:| }} File:Batak Ta-1.svg
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^4{{#if:| }} File:Batak Sa-2.svg
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^5{{#if:| }} File:Batak Ca-2, Nya.svg
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^6{{#if:| }} File:Batak Ba-1.svg
DiacriticsEdit
Diacritics are used to change the pronunciation of a character. They can change the vowel from the inherent {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, mark a final [velar nasal] {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, mark a final velar fricative {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, or indicate a final consonant with no vowel:
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Ligatures with UEdit
The diacritic for U used by Mandailing, Pakpak, Simalungun, and Toba can form ligatures with its base character:
TompiEdit
In Mandailing, the diacritic tompi can be used to change the sound of some characters:
| ha | tompi | ka | sa | tompi | ca |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Batak Ha-3.svg | File:Batak sign tompi.svg | File:Batak Ka-3.svg | File:Batak Sa-2.svg | File:Batak sign tompi.svg | File:Batak Ca-2.svg |
| File:Batak Sa-3.svg | File:Batak sign tompi.svg | File:Batak Ca-4.svg |
Placement of diacritics for Ng and HEdit
The diacritics for Ng (File:Batak sign Ng.svg) and H (File:Batak sign H.svg) are usually written above spacing vowel diacritics instead of above the base character.
Examples: File:Batak syllable ping.svg ping, File:Batak syllable pong.svg pong, File:Batak syllable peh.svg peh, and File:Batak syllable pih.svg pih.
Diacritic reordering for closed syllablesEdit
Vowel diacritics are reordered for closed syllables (that is, syllables where the final consonant has no vowel). Consonants with no vowel are marked by the Batak pangolat or panongonan diacritic, depending on the language.
When they are used for a closed syllable (like "tip"), both the vowel diacritic and the pangolat or panongonan are written at the end of the syllable.
Examples of closed syllables using pangolat:
| ta | vowel | pa | pangolat | syllable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable tap.svg | |
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak sign E-2.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable tep-2.svg |
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak sign E-1.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable tep-1.svg |
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak sign I-1.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable tip.svg |
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak sign O-1.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable top.svg |
| File:Batak Ta-2.svg | File:Batak sign U.svg | File:Batak Pa-1.svg | File:Batak sign mute-1.svg | File:Batak syllable tup.svg |
Punctuation and ornamentsEdit
Batak is normally written without spaces or punctuation (as scriptio continua). However, special marks or bindu are occasionally used.
They vary greatly in size and design from manuscript to manuscript.
| Examples | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Bindu na metek (small bindu) | Begins paragraphs and stanzas | |
| Bindu panarboras (rice-shaped bindu) | ||
| Bindu judul (title bindu) | Separates a title from the body of the text | |
| Bindu pangolat | Trailing punctuation |
UnicodeEdit
Batak script was added to the Unicode Standard in October 2010 with the release of version 6.0.
BlockEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
The Unicode block for Batak is U+1BC0–U+1BFF:
GalleryEdit
- Paper Museum in Atlanta 010.JPG
Batak book about the art of divination from a rooster (Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
- COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Bamboe tabaks- en wichelkoker met Bataks schrift TMnr 512-4.jpg
Batak script carved into a bamboo tube with wooden stopper (Museum of the Tropics in Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
- Bamboo with Batak script.jpg
Bamboo inscribed with Simalungun Batak script (National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, The Netherlands)
- COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Wichelboekje van palmblad TMnr 5991-6.jpg
Batak palm leaf book (Museum of the Tropics in Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
- COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Wichelboek met formules recepten en voorschriften die worden toegepast door de priester-genezer TMnr 1581-1.jpg
Book of formulas, recipes, and rules applied by Batak priests (Museum of the Tropics in Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
- Book of Wizards Batak Indonesia.jpg
Magic book used by priests of the Toba Batak tribe (National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, The Netherlands)
- Manuscript in Toba-Batak language, central Sumatra, early 1800s - Robert C. Williams Paper Museum - DSC00360.JPG
Manuscript in Batak Toba language, central Sumatra, early 1800s. (Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
- Batak Pustaha = Magic Book, leaf 73.tif
Batak Pustaha (Magic Book) (SOAS University of London) - entire manuscript viewable online
See alsoEdit
- Sitopayan I inscription, 13th century usage of mixed Malay and Batak scripts
NotesEdit
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CitationsEdit
SourcesEdit
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}
External linksEdit
- Entry on Batak at Omniglot.com – A guide to writing systems
- Transtoba2 – Roman to Toba Batak script transliteration software by Uli Kozok and Leander Seige (GNU GPL)
- Full Batak manuscript at SOAS University of London.