Batak

Batak alphabet   Batak

Origin

The Batak alphabet, or surat batak, is descended ultimately from
the from Brahmi script of
ancient India by way of the Pallava and Old Kawi scripts.

Notable features

  • Batak is a syllabic alphabet – each consonant (aksara) has
    an inherent vowel. Other vowels or the absence of vowels can be indicated
    using diacritics which appear above, below or after the consonant
    letter.
  • Batak is traditionally written from bottom to top in vertical columns
    running from left to right on strips of bamboo held together with
    string.

Used to write:

The Batak languages of northern Sumatra – Karo
Batak, Toba Batak
, Dairi
Batak, Simalungun/Timur,
Angkola and Mandailing Batak,
and occasionally Malay. In most Batak communities, only the datu
(priests) are able to read and write the Batak alphabet and they use
it mainly for calendars and magical texts.

There are slight variations in the letters and vowel diacritics used
to write each language.

Karo Batak syllabic alphabet

Karo Batak is an Austronesian language with about 600,000 speaks in
the central and northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Karo Batak syllabic alphabet

Vowel diacritics with ka

Karo Batak vowel diacritics

Toba Batak syllabic alphabet

Dairi Batak, which is also known as Batak Toba and Batta, is an Austronesian
language spoken by about 2 million people in the northern part of the
Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Toba Batak syllabic alphabet

Vowel diacritics with ka

Toba Batak vowel diacritics

Dairi Batak syllabic alphabet

Dairi Batak, which is also known as Dairi, Pakpak and Pakpak Dairi,
is an Austronesian language with about 1.2 million speakers in the northern
part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Dairi/Pakpak syllabic alphabet

Vowel diacritics with ka

Dairi/Pakpak vowel diacritics

Simalungun/Timur syllabic alphabet

Simalungun, which is also known as Timur and Simelungan, is an Austronesian
language spoken by about 800,000 people in the northern part of the
Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Simalung/Timur syllabic alphabet

Vowel diacritics with ka

Simalung/Timur vowel diacritics

Mandaling Batak syllabic alphabet

Mandaling Batak or Batta is an Austronesian language with about 400,000
speakers in the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Mandaling Batak syllabic alphabet

Vowel diacritics with ka

Mandaling Batak vowel diacritics

Note

The fonts used on this page were created by Dr Uli Kozok
of The University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Links

Further information about Batak (includes free Batak fonts)
http://www.hawaii.edu/indolang/surat

  • Categoria dell'articolo:Lingue
  • Tempo di lettura:4 minuti di lettura