Rabu, 01 Februari 2017

Lontara Bilang-bilang

The Lontara bilang-bilang or Bilang-Bilang script, which means "counting script", is a Buginese cipher script. The shapes of the glyphs were derived from Arabic-Indic numerals (۱۲۳۴۵۶۷۸). The script appeared in the time of the Kingdom of Gowa in South Sulawesi in 18th century. It is used traditionally and privately mainly to write diaries and poems in Buginese.

Notable features
 
1) Type of writing system: syllabic alphabet / alphasyllabary

2) Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines

3) Each consonant has an inherent vowel (a), other vowels are indicated by adding diacritics to the consonant.

4) There is no virama sign (as in Lontara), and no "ha", because traditionally the Buginese language did not use the "ha" sound. The letter "ha" in the Buginese script/Lontara is an addition due to Arabic influence.

Used to write

Bugis or Buginese (Basa Ugi / ᨅᨔ ᨕᨘᨁᨗ), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken mainly in Sulawesi in Indonesia by about 4 million people.

Lontara Bilang-bilang script

Consonants:



Vowel diacritics:

 
Sample text in the Lontara Bilang-bilang script:


Transliteration:
1) Ininnawa mapata ko, ala i pakkawaru, toto teng lésangmu.
2) Tinulu' kuwala lonré, pata kuwala guling, pésona sompekku.

Translation:
1) O my soul, be patient, make your efforts determine your destiny.
2) I make my honesty to be a ship, my patience as its rudder, and my faith to God as the sail.
(From a poem by Colli' Pujie)
 
Information provided by Ridwan Maulana