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Batak script
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The Batak magicians and priests or <i>datu</i> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> The script soon fell out of use and is now only used for ornamental purposes. </p> <h2 id="origin">Origin</h2> <p>The Batak script was probably derived from <a href="/facts/Pallava_script/Lvu7cmIX">Pallava</a> and <a href="/facts/Old_Kawi/NXdMWyYz">Old Kawi</a> scripts, which ultimately were derived from the <a href="/facts/Brahmi_script/Bflxwzu6">Brahmi script</a>, the root of almost all the Indic and Southeast Asian scripts. </p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>Batak is written from left to right and top to bottom. Like all Brahmi-based scripts, each consonant has an inherent vowel of /a/, unless there is a <a href="/facts/Diacritic/Rw6lMzQW">diacritic</a> (in Toba Batak called <i>pangolat</i>) to indicate the lack of a vowel. Other vowels, final <i><a href="/facts/Eng_(letter)/V9z0wm5o">ŋ</a></i>, and final velar fricative [x] are indicated by diacritics, which appear above, below, or after the letter. For example, <i>ba</i> is written ba (one letter); <i>bi</i> is written ba.i (<i>i</i> follows the consonant); <i>bang</i> is written baŋ (<i>ŋ</i> is above the consonant); and <i>bing</i> is baŋ.i. Final consonants are written with the <i>pangolat</i> (here represented by "#"): <i>bam</i> is ba.ma.#. However, <i>bim</i> 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. </p> <h2 id="basic-characters">Basic characters</h2> <p>The basic characters are called <i>surat</i>. Each consonant has an inherent vowel of /a/. The script varies by region and language. The major variants are between <a href="/facts/Batak_Karo_language/hwYjVoF9">Karo</a>, <a href="/facts/Mandailing_language/SnrSGmcs">Mandailing</a>, <a href="/facts/Pakpak_language/VlNJXWBC">Pakpak</a>/Dairi, <a href="/facts/Simalungun_language/Tj1JES5C">Simalungun</a>/Timur, and <a href="/facts/Toba_Batak_language/o4rkcQ3z">Toba</a>: </p> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="24">Surat (Basic characters)</td></tr><tr><td>IPA</td><td>a</td><td>ha</td><td>ka</td><td>ba</td><td>pa</td><td>na</td><td>wa</td><td>ga</td><td>dʒa</td><td>da</td><td>ra</td><td>ma</td><td>ta</td><td>sa</td><td>ja</td><td>ŋa</td><td>la</td><td>ɲa</td><td>tʃa</td><td>nda</td><td>mba</td><td>i</td><td>u</td></tr><tr><td>Transcription</td><td>a</td><td>ha</td><td>ka</td><td>ba</td><td>pa</td><td>na</td><td>wa</td><td>ga</td><td>ja</td><td>da</td><td>ra</td><td>ma</td><td>ta</td><td>sa</td><td>ya</td><td>nga</td><td>la</td><td>nya</td><td>ca</td><td>nda</td><td>mba</td><td>i</td><td>u</td></tr><tr><td>Karo</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td rowspan="5">1</td><td></td><td></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td></td><td></td><td>5</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="5"></td></tr><tr><td>Mandailing</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pakpak</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Toba</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Simalungun</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table> <p> Alternate forms: ^1 (used in Mandailing) ^2 ^3 ^4 ^5 ^6 </p> <h2 id="diacritics">Diacritics</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Diacritic/Rw6lMzQW">Diacritics</a> are used to change the pronunciation of a character. They can change the vowel from the inherent /a/, mark a final [velar nasal] /ŋ/, mark a final <a href="/facts/Voiceless_velar_fricative/mrKPhobk">velar fricative</a> /x/, or indicate a final consonant with no vowel: </p> Batak Diacritics<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col" rowspan="2">Latin<a href="/facts/Transliteration/1eemsW6o">Trans.</a></th><th scope="col" colspan="5">Batak Diacritics</th><td scope="col" rowspan="11"> </td><th scope="col" rowspan="2">LatinTrans.</th><th scope="col" colspan="5">Batak Diacritics with /ka/</th></tr><tr><th scope="col">Karo</th><th scope="col">Mand.</th><th scope="col">Pakp.</th><th scope="col">Sima.</th><th scope="col">Toba</th><th scope="col">Karo</th><th scope="col">Mand.</th><th scope="col">Pakp.</th><th scope="col">Sima.</th><th scope="col">Toba</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">-a</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">ka</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-e</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">ke</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-i</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">ki</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-o</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">ko</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-ou</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">kou</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-u</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">ku</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-ng</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">kang</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">-h</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">kah</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">–</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><th scope="row">k</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Ligatures with U</h3> <p>The diacritic for U used by Mandailing, Pakpak, Simalungun, and Toba can form <a href="/facts/Typographic_ligature/urMIGfmN">ligatures</a> with its base character: </p> Ligatures with -U<table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><th scope="col" colspan="5">Batak Script</th><th scope="col">Description</th></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>a + -u = u</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td></td><td>a + -u = u (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ha + -u = hu (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ha + -u = hu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ha + -u = hu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ka + -u = ku (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ba + -u = bu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>pa + -u = pu (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>pa + -u = pu (Pakpak, Toba)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>pa + -u = pu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>na + -u = nu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>na + -u = nu (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>wa + -u = wu (Mandailing, Toba)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>wa + -u = wu (Pakpak, Toba)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>wa + -u = wu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ga + -u = gu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ga + -u = gu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ja + -u = ju</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td><table><tbody><tr><th scope="col" colspan="5">Batak Script</th><th scope="col">Description</th></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>da + -u = du</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ra + -u = ru</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ra + -u = ru (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ma + -u = mu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ma + -u = mu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ta + -u = tu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ta + -u = tu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>sa + -u = su (Pakpak)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>sa + -u = su (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>sa + -u = su (Mandailing)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>sa + -u = su (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ya + -u = yu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ya + -u = yu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>nga + -u = ngu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>la + -u = lu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>la + -u = lu (Simalungun)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>nya + -u = nyu</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td><td>ca + -u = cu (Mandailing)</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Tompi</h3> <p>In Mandailing, the diacritic <i>tompi</i> can be used to change the sound of some characters: </p> tompi<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">ha</th><th scope="col"> +</th><th scope="col">tompi</th><th scope="col">= </th><th scope="col">ka</th><th scope="col">sa</th><th scope="col"> +</th><th scope="col">tompi</th><th scope="col">= </th><th scope="col">ca</th></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="3"> +</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="3">= </td><td rowspan="2"> </td><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td></td><td> +</td><td></td><td>= </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Placement of diacritics for Ng and H</h3> <p>The diacritics for Ng () and H () are usually written above spacing vowel diacritics instead of above the base character. Examples: ping, pong, peh, and pih. </p> <h3>Diacritic reordering for closed syllables</h3> <p>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 <i>pangolat</i> or <i>panongonan</i> diacritic, depending on the language. </p><p>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. </p><p>Examples of closed syllables using <i>pangolat</i>: </p> reordering<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">ta</th><th scope="col"> + </th><th scope="col">vowel</th><th scope="col"> + </th><th scope="col">pa</th><th scope="col"> + </th><th scope="col">pangolat</th><th scope="col"> = </th><th scope="col">syllable</th></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td></td><td></td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>tap</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td>+</td><td>e</td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>tep</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td>+</td><td>e</td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>tep</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td>+</td><td>i</td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>tip</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td>+</td><td>o</td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>top</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>+</td><td></td><td>=</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ta</td><td>+</td><td>u</td><td>+</td><td>pa</td><td>+</td><td>pangolat</td><td>=</td><td>tup</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="punctuation-and-ornaments">Punctuation and ornaments</h2> <p>Batak is normally written without spaces or punctuation (as <a href="/facts/Scriptio_continua/Yc8Jogxa">scriptio continua</a>). However, special marks or <a href="/facts/Bindu_(symbol)/2pGj6LRI">bindu</a> are occasionally used. </p><p>They vary greatly in size and design from manuscript to manuscript. </p> bindu<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">Examples</th><th scope="col">Name</th><th scope="col">Function</th></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2">Bindu na metek (small bindu)</td><td rowspan="3">Begins paragraphs and stanzas</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Bindu panarboras (rice-shaped bindu)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Bindu judul (title bindu)</td><td>Separates a title from the body of the text</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Bindu pangolat</td><td>Trailing punctuation</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="unicode">Unicode</h2> <p>Batak script was added to the <a href="/facts/Unicode/DDu3MfPV">Unicode</a> Standard in October 2010 with the release of version 6.0. </p> <h3>Block</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Batak_(Unicode_block)/kIx8SQAd">Batak (Unicode block)</a></p> <p>The Unicode block for Batak is U+1BC0–U+1BFF: </p> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="17"><a href="/facts/Batak_(Unicode_block)/kIx8SQAd">Batak</a>[1][2]<a href="https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1BC0.pdf">Official Unicode Consortium code chart</a> (PDF)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>5</td><td>6</td><td>7</td><td>8</td><td>9</td><td>A</td><td>B</td><td>C</td><td>D</td><td>E</td><td>F</td></tr><tr><td>U+1BCx</td><td>ᯀ</td><td>ᯁ</td><td>ᯂ</td><td>ᯃ</td><td>ᯄ</td><td>ᯅ</td><td>ᯆ</td><td>ᯇ</td><td>ᯈ</td><td>ᯉ</td><td>ᯊ</td><td>ᯋ</td><td>ᯌ</td><td>ᯍ</td><td>ᯎ</td><td>ᯏ</td></tr><tr><td>U+1BDx</td><td>ᯐ</td><td>ᯑ</td><td>ᯒ</td><td>ᯓ</td><td>ᯔ</td><td>ᯕ</td><td>ᯖ</td><td>ᯗ</td><td>ᯘ</td><td>ᯙ</td><td>ᯚ</td><td>ᯛ</td><td>ᯜ</td><td>ᯝ</td><td>ᯞ</td><td>ᯟ</td></tr><tr><td>U+1BEx</td><td>ᯠ</td><td>ᯡ</td><td>ᯢ</td><td>ᯣ</td><td>ᯤ</td><td>ᯥ</td><td>᯦</td><td>ᯧ</td><td>ᯨ</td><td>ᯩ</td><td>ᯪ</td><td>ᯫ</td><td>ᯬ</td><td>ᯭ</td><td>ᯮ</td><td>ᯯ</td></tr><tr><td>U+1BFx</td><td>ᯰ</td><td>ᯱ</td><td>᯲</td><td>᯳</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>᯼</td><td>᯽</td><td>᯾</td><td>᯿</td></tr><tr><td colspan="17">Notes1.^ As of Unicode version 16.02.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="gallery">Gallery</h2> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Sitopayan_I_inscription/gpGEdpPz">Sitopayan I inscription</a>, 13th century usage of mixed Malay and Batak scripts</li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="citations">Citations</h2> <h2 id="sources">Sources</h2> <ul><li>Kozok, Uli (January 2009). <i>Surat Batak: Sejarah Perkembangan Tulisan Batak : Berikut Pedoman Menulis Aksara Batak Dan Cap Si Singamangaraja XII</i> (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Gramedia. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-979-9101-53-2.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Michael_Everson/8Se2cLdz">Everson, Michael</a>; Kozok, Uli (7 October 2008), <a href="https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n3320.pdf"><i>N3320R: Proposal for encoding the Batak script in the UCS</i></a> (PDF)</li></ul> <ul><li>Kozok, Uli. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20021031234050/http://www.hawaii.edu/indolang/surat/kursus.html">"Kursus Kilat Aksara Batak (Quick Course in Batak Script)"</a> (in Indonesian). Archived from <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/indolang/surat/kursus.html">the original</a> on 31 October 2002. Retrieved 20 April 2011.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Batak letters. <ul><li>Entry on <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/batak.htm">Batak</a> at <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/">Omniglot.com – A guide to writing systems</a></li> <li><a href="http://transtoba2.seige.net">Transtoba2</a> – Roman to Toba Batak script transliteration software by Uli Kozok and Leander Seige (GNU GPL)</li> <li><a href="https://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA005798/00004">Full Batak manuscript</a> at SOAS University of London.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Uli Kozok. "Sejarah Aksara Batak". Retrieved 17 May 2014. <a href="http://ulikozok.com/aksara-batak/sejarah-aksara-batak/" target="_blank">http://ulikozok.com/aksara-batak/sejarah-aksara-batak/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Kozok 2009:168. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>