Javanese script

The Javanese script, natively known as Aksara Jawa, Hanacaraka, Carakan, and Dentawyanjana,[1] is one of Indonesia's traditional script developed in the island of Java. The script is primarily used to write the Javanese language, but in the course of its development has also been used to write several other regional languages such as Sundanese, Madurese, and Sasak; the lingua franca of the region, Malay; as well as the historical language Kawi and Sanskrit. The Javanese script was actively used by the Javanese people for writing day-to-day and literary texts from at least mid 15th ce until the mid 20th ce, before its function is gradually supplanted by the Latin alphabet. Today the script is taught in DI Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java Province as part of the local curriculum, but with very limited function in everyday use.[2][3]

Javanese
Type
LanguagesJavanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Sasak, Malay, Kawi, Sanskrit
Time period
c. 15thpresent
Parent systems
Sister systems
Balinese alphabet
Batak alphabet
Baybayin scripts
Lontara alphabet
Sundanese alphabet
Rencong alphabet
Rejang alphabet
DirectionLeft-to-right
ISO 15924Java, 361
Unicode alias
Javanese
Unicode range
U+A980U+A9DF
[a] The Semitic origin of the Brahmic scripts is not universally agreed upon.

The Javanese script is an abugida writing system which consists of 20 to 33 basic letters, depending on the language being written. Like other Brahmic scripts, each letter (called an aksara) represents a syllable with the inherent vowel /a/ or /ɔ/ which can be changed with the placement of diacritics around the letter. Each letter has a conjunct form called pasangan, which nullifies the inherent vowel of the previous letter. Traditionally, the script is written without space between words (scriptio continua) but is interspersed with a group of decorative punctuation.

History

The Javanese script is one of the Brahmi descendants in Indonesia in which its evolutionary history can be traced fairly well due to the numerous inscriptional evidences that permitted epigraphical studies. The oldest root of the Javanese script is the Indian Brahmi script which evolves into the Pallava script in Southern India and Southeast Asia between 6th and 8th ce. The Pallava script, in turn, evolved into the Kawi script which is actively used throughout Indonesia's Hindu-Buddhist period between 8th and 15th ce. In various parts of Indonesia, the Kawi script would evolved into one of Indonesia's traditional script, among them is the Javanese.[4] The modern Javanese script as it is now known evolved over time from the late Kawi script in between the 14th to 15th ce, a period in which Java began to receive significant Islamic influence.[5][6][7]

For at least 500 years between 15th ce until the mid 20th ce, was actively by the Javanese people for writing day-to-day and literary texts with a wide range of a theme and content. Javanese script was used throughout the island at a time when there was no easy means of communication between remote areas and no impulse towards standardization. As a result, there is a huge variety in historical and local styles of Javanese writing throughout the ages. The ability of a person to read a bark-paper manuscript from the town of Demak, say, written around 1700, is no guarantee that that person would also be able to make sense of a palm-leaf manuscript written at the same time only 50 miles away on the slopes of mount Merapi. The great differences between regional styles almost makes it seem that the "Javanese script" is in fact a family of script, and not just one.[8] Javanese writing traditions are especially cultivated in the Kraton environment, but Javanese texts are known to be made and used by all layers of society. Javanese literature are almost always composed in metrical verses that are designed to be sung, thus Javanese text are not only judged by its content and language but also by the merit of its melody and rhythm during recitation sessions.[9] Javanese writing tradition also relied on periodical copying due to writing materials that does not last long in tropical climates; as a result, many physical manuscripts that are available now are 18th or 19th century copies, though its content can usually be traced to far older prototype.[7]

Media

Serat Yusuf in palm leaf (lontar) form, Tropenmuseum collection
Serat Yusuf in paper codex form, Museum Sonobudoyo collection

The Javanese script has been written with numerous medias that changes over time. The Kawi script which is ancestral to the Javanese script is often found in stone inscriptions and copper plates. Everyday writing in Kawi was done in palm leaf form locally known as lontar, which is are processed leaves of the tal palm (Borassus flabellifer). Each lontar leaf has the shape of a slim rectangle with 2,8 to 4 cm width and varied length between 20 and 80 cm. Each leaf can only accommodate around 4 lines of writing, which are incised in horizontal orientation with a small knife and then blackened with soot to increase readability. This media has a long history of attested use all over South and Southeast Asia.[10]

In the 13th ce, paper began to be used in the Malay archipelago. This introduction is related to spread of Islam in the region, due to the Islamic writing tradition that is supported by the use paper and codex manuscript. As Java began to receive significant Islamic influence in the 15th ce, coinciding with the period in which the Kawi script began to transitioned into the modern Javanese script, paper became widespread in Java while the use of lontar only persisted in a few places.[11] There are two kinds of paper that are commonly used in Javanese manuscript: locally produced paper called daluang, and imported paper. Daluang (also spelled dluwang) is a paper made from the beaten bark of the saéh tree (Broussonetia papyrifera). Visually, daluang can be easily differentiated from regular paper by its distinctive brown tint and fibrous appearance. A well made daluang has a smooth surface and are quite durable from manuscript damages commonly associated with tropical climate, especially insect damage. Meanwhile, a coarse daluang has bumpy surface and tend to break easily. Daluang is commonly used in manuscripts produced by Javanese Kratons (palaces) and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) between 16th to 17th ce.[12]

Most imported paper in Indonesian manuscripts came from Europe. In the beginning, only few scribes were able to use European paper due to its high cost - paper made with European method at the time could only be imported in limited number.[lower-alpha 1] In colonial administration, the use of European paper had to be supplemented with Javanese daluang and imported Chinese paper until at least the 19th ce. As paper supply increases due to growing import from Europe, scribes in palaces and urban settlements gradually opted to use European paper as the primary media of writing, while daluang paper was increasingly associated with pesantren and rural manuscripts.[11] Alongside the increase of European paper supply, attempts to create Javanese printing type began, spearheaded by several European figures. With the establishment of printing technology in 1825, materials with Javanese script can be mass-produced and became increasingly common in various aspect of pre-independence Javanese life, from letters, books, newspapers, magazines, even advertisements and paper currency.[13]

Usage

Usage of the Javanese Script
Details Serat Selarasa manuscript copied in Surabaya, 1804. The two leftmost figures can be seen reciting a text

For at least 500 years between 15th ce until the mid 20th ce, the Javanese script was used by all layers of Javanese society for writing day-to-day and literary texts with a wide range of theme and content. Due to significant influence of oral tradition, reading in pre-independence Javanese society is usually a performance; Javanese literature texts are almost always composed in metrical verses that are designed to be recited, thus Javanese text are not only judged by its content and language, but also by the merit of its melody and rhythm during recitation sessions.[9] Javanese poets are not expected to create new stories and characters, instead the role of the poet is to rewrite and recompose existing stories into forms that are suitable to local taste and prevailing trend. As a result, Javanese literary works such as the Cerita Panji does not have a single authoritative version referenced by all others, instead, it is a loose collection of numerous tales with various versions bind over by the common thread of the Panji character.[14] Literature genres with the longest attested history are Sanskrit epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata which have been recomposed since the Kawi period and introduced hundreds of characters familiar in Javanese wayang stories today including Arjuna, Srikandi, Ghatotkacha and many others. Since the introduction of Islam, characters of Middle-eastern provenance such as Amir Hamzah and the Prophet Joseph has also been frequent subjects of writing. There are also local characters, usually set in Java's semi-legendary past, such as Prince Panji, Damar Wulan, and Calon Arang.[15]

When studies of Javanese language and literature began to attract European circles in the 19th ce, an initiative to create a Javanese type began to take place in order to mass-produced and quickly disseminate Javanese literary materials. One of the earliest attempt to create a movable Javanese type is done by Paul van Vlissingen, in which his typeface was first put in use in the Bataviasch Courant newspaper, October 1825 issue.[16] While lauded as a considerable technical achievement, many at the time felt that Vlissingen's design is a coarse copy of the fine Javanese hand used in literary texts, and so this early attempt was further developed by numerous other people to a varying degree of result as the study of Javanese developed over the years.[17] In 1838, Taco Roorda completed his typeface based on the hand of Surakartan scribes[lower-alpha 2] with a bit of European typographical elements mixed in. Roorda's font garnered positive feedback and soon became the main choice to print any Javanese text. Since then, reading materials in printed Javanese, using Roorda's typeface, became widespread among the Javanese populace and are widely used in other materials other than literature. The establishment of print technology enabled a printing industry which, for the next century, produced various materials in printed Javanese, from administrative papers, school books, to mass media such as the Kajawèn magazine which is entirely printed in Javanese in all of its article and columns.[13][19] In governmental level, one application of the Javanese script is the multilingual legal text in the Netherlands Indies gulden circulated by De Javasche Bank.[20]

Decline

As literacy and demand of reading materials increased in the beginning of the 20th ce, Javanese publisher began to decrease the amount of Javanese script publication due to practical and economical considerations: printing any text in Javanese script at the time requires two times the amount of paper compared to the same text rendered in Latin alphabet, so that Javanese texts are more expensive and time-consuming to produce. In order to lower production costs and keep book prices affordable to the general populace, many publisher such as the government-owned Balai Pustaka prioritized publication in Latin alphabet over time.[21][lower-alpha 3] However, the Javanese population at the beginning of the 20th ce kept the use of Javanese script in various aspect of everyday live. It was, for example, considered more polite to write a letter using the Javanese script, especially addressed towards elder or superior. Many publisher, including Balai Pustaka, kept printing books, newspapers, and magazine in the Javanese script due to sufficient, albeit declining, demands. The use of Javanese script only started to drop significantly during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia beginning in 1942.[23] Some writers attribute this sudden decline to prohibitions issued by the Japanese government banning the use of native script in public sphere, though no documentary evidence of such ban has yet to be found.[lower-alpha 4] Nevertheless, the use of Javanese script did declined significantly during the Japanese occupation and it never recovered to its previous widespread literacy in post-independence Indonesia.

Contemporary use

In contemporary usage, the Javanese script is still taught as part of the local curriculum in DI Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java Province. Several local newspapers and magazines have columns written in the Javanese script, and the script can be found in numerous public signage. However, many contemporary attempts to implement the Javanese script are symbolic rather than functional; there are no longer, for example, periodical publications like Kajawèn magazine in which its substantial content is in the Javanese script. Most Javanese people today know the existence of the script and recognize a few letters, but it is rare to find someone who can read and write it in a substantial manner.[25][26] Therefore, as recent as 2019, it is not uncommon to see Javanese script signage in public places with numerous misspellings and basic mistakes.[27][28] Several hurdles in revitalizing the use of Javanese script includes IT equipment that does not support correct rendering of the Javanese script, lack of governing bodies with sufficient competence to consult on its usage, and lack of typographical explorations that may intrigue contemporary viewers. Nevertheless, attempts to revive the script are still being conducted by several communities and public figures who encouraged the use of Javanese script in the public sphere, especially in digital devices.[29]

Form

Letter

A basic letter in the Javanese script is called an aksara which represents a syllable. The Javanese script contains around 45 letters, but not all of them are used equally. Over the course of its development, some letters became obsolete and some are only used in certain contexts. As such, it is common to divide the letters in several groups based on their function.

Wyanjana

Aksara wyanjana (ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦮꦾꦚ꧀ꦗꦤ) are consonant letters with an inherent vowel /a/ or /ɔ/. As a Brahmi derived script, the Javanese script originally had 33 wyanjana letters to write the 33 consonants that are used in Sanskrit and Kawi language. Their form are as follow:[30][31]

Aksara Wyanjana (old sequence)
Place of articulation Pancawalimukha Semivowel Sibilant Fricative
Unvoiced Voiced Nasal
Unaspirated Aspirated Unaspirated Aspirated
Velar

ka


kha


ga


gha


ṅa


ha/a1
Palatal

ca


cha


ja


jha


ña


ya


śa
Retroflex

ṭa


ṭha


ḍa


ḍha


ṇa


ra


ṣa
Dental

ta


tha


da


dha


na


la


sa
Labial

pa


pha


ba


bha


ma


wa
Notes
^1 may represent /ha/ or /a/ in the Kawi language

Over the course of its development, the modern Javanese language no longer used all letters in the Sanskrit-Kawi inventory. Modern Javanese script only use 20 consonants and 20 basic letters known as aksara nglegéna (ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦔ꧀ꦭꦼꦒꦺꦤ). Some of the remaining letters are repurposed as aksara murda (ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦩꦸꦂꦢ) which are used for honorific purposes in writing respected names, be it legendary (for example Bima ꦨꦶꦩ) or real (for example Pakubuwana ꦦꦑꦸꦨꦸꦮꦟ).[32] From the 20 nglegéna basic letters, only 9 have corresponding murda forms. Because of this, the use of murda is not identical to capitalization of proper names in Latin orthography;[32] if the first syllable of a name does not have a murda form, the second syllable would use murda. If the second syllable also does not have a murda form, the third syllable would use murda, and so on. Highly respected names may be written completely in murda if possible, but in essence the use of murda is optional and may be inconsistent in traditional texts. For example, the name Gani can be spelled as ꦒꦤꦶ (without murda), ꦓꦤꦶ (with murda on the first syllable), or ꦓꦟꦶ (with murda on all syllables) depending on the background and context of the writing. The remaining letters that are not classified as nglegéna or repurposed as murda are aksara mahaprana, letters that are used in Sanskrit and Kawi texts but obsolete in modern Javanese.[30][lower-alpha 5]

Aksara Wyanjana (modern sequence)
ha/a1 na ca ra ka da ta sa wa la pa dha ja ya nya ma ga ba tha nga
Nglegena



















Murda

2

3







Mahaprana




Notes
^1 may represent /ha/ or /a/ depending on the word
^2 only attested in conjunct form,[3] the glyph for its basic letter is a contemporary reconstruction
^3 ra agung, has the same function as other murda letters but is not widely known due to its limited use in Kraton environment[30]

Swara

Aksara swara (ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦱ꧀ꦮꦫ) are letters that represented pure vowels. Javanese script has 14 vowel letters inherited from Sanskrit tradition. Their form are as follow:[31]

Aksara Swara
Place of articulation Velar Palatal Labial Retroflex Dental Velar-Palatal Velar-Labial
Short

a


i


u


ṛ/re1


ḷ/le2


é3


o
Long
ꦄꦴ
ā


ī

ꦈꦴ
ū

ꦉꦴ
4


5


ai6

ꦎꦴ
au7
Notes
^1 pa cerek, represents the syllable /rə/
^2 nga lelet, represents the syllable /lə/
^3 /e/ as e in the word "dress"

The following pronunciation are not used in modern Javanese:

^4 pa cerek dirgha, a Sanskrit innovation that is used in a few analogically generated morphological categories[35]
^5 nga lelet raswadi, not an actual Sanskrit sound, but rather a graphic convention included among the written vowels to maintain the symmetry of short–long pairs of letters[35]
^6 diphthong /aj/
^7 diphthong /aw/

Similar to wyanjana letters, the modern Javanese language no longer used the whole inventory of swara letters, only short vowel letters are now commonly used and taught. In modern orthography, swara letters may be used to replace wyanjana ha ꦲ (which may caused ambiguous reading between /ha/ or /a/) to disambiguate the pronunciation of unfamiliar terms and names.[36]

Pa cerek ꦉ, pa cerek dirgha ꦉꦴ, nga lelet ꦊ, and nga lelet raswadi ꦋ are syllabic consonants that are primarily used in specific Sanskrit cases.[35] When adapted to languages outside of Sanskrit, the function and pronunciation of these letters tend to vary. In modern Javanese language, only pa cerek and nga lelet are used; pa cerek is pronounced /rə/ while nga lelet is pronounced /lə/. Both letters are usually re-categorized into its own class called aksara gantèn in modern tables. These letters are mandatory shorthand that replaces every combination of ra pepet (ꦫꦼ → ꦉ) and la pepet (ꦭꦼ → ꦊ).[37]

Rékan

Aksara rékan (ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦫꦺꦏꦤ꧀) are additional letters used to write foreign sounds.[38] This type of letters were initially developed to write Arabic loanwords, later adapted to write Dutch loanwords, and in contemporary usage are also used to write Indonesian and English loanwords. Most rékan letters are formed by adding the cecak telu diacritic on the native letters that are considered closest-sounding to foreign sound in question. For example, rékan letter fa ꦥ꦳ is formed by adding cecak telu over wyanjana letter pa ꦥ. The combination of wyanjana letter and corresponding foreign sounds for each rékan may be different between sources. Some rékan letters are as follow:[39]

Aksara Rékan
ḥa kha qa dza sya fa/va za gha 'a
Javanese
ꦲ꦳

ꦏ꦳

1

ꦢ꦳

ꦱ꦳

ꦥ꦳

ꦗ꦳

ꦒ꦳

ꦔ꦳
Arabic ح خ ق ذ ش ف ز غ ع
Notes
^1 ka sasak, only used in the Sasak language

Diacritic

Diacritic (sandhangan ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦔꦤ꧀) are dependent signs that are used to modify the inherent vowel of a letter. Similar to Javanese letters, Javanese diacritics may be divided into several groups based on their function.

Swara

Sandhangan swara (ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦱ꧀ꦮꦫ) are diacritics that are used to change the inherent /a/ into different vowel. Their form are as follow:[40]

Sandhangan Swara
Short Long
-a -i -u [1] -o -e[2] -ai[3] -au[4] -eu[5][6]
-



ꦺꦴ






ꦻꦴ

ꦼꦴ
- wulu suku taling taling-tarung pepet tarung wulu melik suku mendut dirga muré dirga muré-tarung pepet-tarung
ka ki ku ko ke kai kau keu
ꦏꦶ ꦏꦸ ꦏꦺ ꦏꦺꦴ ꦏꦼ ꦏꦴ ꦏꦷ ꦏꦹ ꦏꦻ ꦭꦻꦴ ꦏꦼꦴ
Catatan
^1 /e/ as e in the word "dress"
^2 /ə/ as a in the word "about"

The following pronunciation are not used in modern Javanese:

^3 diphthong /aj/
^4 diphthong /aw/
^5 represents /ɨ/ in the Sundanese language
^6 romanized as ö in the Kawi language[31]

Similar to swara letters, only short vowel diacritics that are taught and used in contemporary Javanese, while long vowel diacritics are only used in Sanskrit and Kawi writing.

Panyigeging wanda

Sandhangan panyigeging wanda (ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦥꦚꦶꦒꦼꦒꦶꦁꦮꦤ꧀ꦢ) are diacritics used to a write a closed syllable. Their form are as follow:[41]

Sandhangan Panyigeging Wanda
nasal[1] -ng -r -h virama[2]





panyangga cecak layar wignyan pangkon
kam kang kar kah k
ꦏꦀ ꦏꦁ ꦏꦂ ꦏꦃ ꦏ꧀
Notes
^1 usually used in transcription of Balinese lontars for writing the sacred syllable ong ꦎꦀ
^2 not used in closed syllables that occur in the middle of words or sentences (see conjunct)

Wyanjana

Sandhangan wyanjana (ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦮꦾꦚ꧀ꦗꦤ) are diacritics that are used to write consonant cluster with semivowels that occur in a single syllable. Their form are as follow:[42]

Sandhangan Wyanjana
-re -y- -r- -l- -w-



ꦿ

꧀ꦭ

꧀ꦮ
keret pèngkal cakra panjingan la gembung
kre kya kra kla kwa
ꦏꦽ ꦏꦾ ꦏꦿ ꦏ꧀ꦭ ꦏ꧀ꦮ

Conjunct

The inherent vowel of each basic letter can be suppressed with the use of the virama, natively known as pangkon. However, pangkon is not normally use in the middle of a word or sentence. For closed syllable in such positions, a conjunct form called pasangan (ꦥꦱꦔꦤ꧀) is used instead. Every basic letter has a pasangan counterpart, and if a pasangan is attached to a basic letter, the inherent vowel of the attached letter is nullified. Their form are as follow:[43]

Aksara and Pasangan
ha/a na ca ra ka da ta sa wa la pa dha ja ya nya ma ga ba tha nga
Nglegena Aksara



















Pasangan
꧀ꦲ

꧀ꦤ

꧀ꦕ

꧀ꦫ

꧀ꦏ

꧀ꦢ

꧀ꦠ

꧀ꦱ

꧀ꦮ

꧀ꦭ

꧀ꦥ

꧀ꦝ

꧀ꦗ

꧀ꦪ

꧀ꦚ

꧀ꦩ

꧀ꦒ

꧀ꦧ

꧀ꦛ

꧀ꦔ
Murda Aksara









Pasangan

꧀ꦖ1

꧀ꦬ

꧀ꦑ

꧀ꦡ

꧀ꦯ

꧀ꦦ

꧀ꦘ

꧀ꦓ

꧀ꦨ
Mahaprana Aksara




Pasangan
꧀ꦣ

꧀ꦰ

꧀ꦞ

꧀ꦙ

꧀ꦜ
Notes
^1 often used as part of pepadan punctuation with no phonemic function
^2 the conjunct forms in this table are used for writing modern Javanese. Some letters has different conjunct forms when it is used for writing Sanskrit and Kawi

An example of pasangan use are as follow:

component result remark
+ + + + = a + (ka + (pangkon + sa)) + ra → a + (ka + (pasangan sa)) + ra = a(ksa)ra
+ + + + = ka + (na + (pangkon + tha) + -i) → ka + (na + (pasangan tha) + -i) = ka(nthi)

Numeral

The Javanese script has its own numeral (angka ꦲꦁꦏ) that behaves in similar way to the Arabic numeral. However, most Javanese numerals has the exact same glyph as several basic letters, for example between the numeral 1 ꧑ with wyanjana letter ga ꦒ, or the numeral 8 ꧘ with murda letter pa ꦦ. To avoid confusion, numerals that are used in the middle of sentences must be enclosed within pada pangkat or pada lingsa punctuations. For example, tanggal 17 Juni (the date 17 June) is written ꦠꦁꦒꦭ꧀꧇꧑꧗꧇ꦗꦸꦤꦶ or ꦠꦁꦒꦭ꧀꧈꧑꧗꧈ꦗꦸꦤꦶ. Enclosing punctuation may be ignored if their use as numeral is understood by context, for example as page numbers in the corner of pages. Their form are as follow:[44][45]

Angka
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9










Punctuation

Traditional Javanese texts are written with no spaces between words (scriptio continua) with several punctuation marks called pada (ꦥꦢ). Their form are as follow:

Pada
lingsa lungsi adeg adeg-adeg pisélèh rerenggan pangkat rangkap epistolary correction
andhap madya luhur guru pancak tirta tumétès isèn-isèn





꧌...꧍

꧁...꧂






꧋꧆꧋

꧉꧆꧉

꧞꧞꧞

꧟꧟꧟

In contemporary teaching, the most frequently used punctuations are pada adeg-adeg, pada lingsa, and pada lungsi, which are used to open paragraphs (similar to pillcrow), separating sentences (similar to comma), and ending sentences (similar to full stop). Pada adeg and pada pisélèh may be used to indicate insertion in the middle of sentence similar to parenthesis or quotation mark, while pada pangkat has similar function to colon. Pada rangkap is sometimes used as iteration mark for reduplicated words (for example kata-kata ꦏꦠꦏꦠ → kata2 ꦏꦠꧏ).[46]

Several punctuation do not have Latin equivalent and are often decorative in nature with numerous variant shapes, for example the rerenggan which is sometimes used to enclosed titles. In epistolary usage, several punctuation are used in the beginning of letters and may also be used to indicate the social status of the letter writer; from the lowest pada andhap, middle pada madya, and the highest pada luhur. Pada guru is sometimes used as a neutral option without social connotation, while pada pancak is used to end a letter. It should be noted however that this is a generalized function. In practice, similar to rerenggan these epistolary punctuation are often decorative and optional with various shape used in different regions and by different scribes.[46]

When error occurred during the manuscript copying, several Kraton scribes used special correction marks instead of crossing the erroneous parts: tirta tumétès normally found in Yogyakarta manuscripts, and isèn-isèn found in Surakarta manuscripts. These correction marks are directly applied following the erroneous part before the scribe continue writing. For example, a scribe wants to write pada luhur ꦥꦢꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ but accidentally wrote pada hu ꦥꦢꦲꦸ before realizing the mistake, this word may be corrected into pada hu···luhur ꦥꦢꦲꦸ꧞꧞꧞ꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ or ꦥꦢꦲꦸ꧟꧟꧟ꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ.[47]

Pepadan

Other than the regular punctuation, one of Javanese texts' distinctive characteristic is pepadan (ꦥꦼꦥꦢꦤ꧀), a series of highly ornate verse marks. Several of their form are as follow:

Pepadan
minor pada major pada


꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅

The series of punctuation that forms pepadan have numerous names in traditional texts. Behrend (1996) divides pepadan into two general groups: the minor pada which consists of a single mark, and the major pada which is composed of several marks. Minor pada is used to indicate divisions of poetic stanzas, which usually came up every 32 or 48 syllables depending on the poetic metre. Major pada is used to demarcate a change of canto (which includes a change of the metre, rhythm, and mood of the recitation) occurring every 5 to 10 pages, though this may vary considerably depending on the structure of the text.[48] Javanese guides often list three kinds of major pada: purwa pada ꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅ which is used in the beginning of the first canto, madya pada ꧅ ꦟ꧀ꦢꦿ ꧅ which is used in between different cantos, and wasana pada ꧅ ꦆ ꧅ which is used in the end of the final canto.[46] But due to the large variety of shapes between manuscripts, these three punctuation are essentially treated as a single punctuation in most Javanese manuscripts.[49]

Pepadan is one of the most prominent element in a typical Javanese manuscript and almost always written with high artistic skills which includes calligraphy, coloring, even gilding.[50] In luxurious royal manuscripts, the shape of the pepadan may even contain visual puns that gave clue to the readers regarding the canto of the text; a pepadan with wings or bird figure resembling crow (called dhandhang in Javanese) indicates the dhandhanggula metre, while pepadan with elements of a goldfish indicates the maskumambang metre (literally means "gold floating on water"). One of the scribal center with the most elaborate and ornate pepadan is the scriptorium of Pakualaman in Yogyakarta.[51][52]

Collation

The modern Javanese script is commonly arranged in the Hanacaraka sequence, named in accordance to the first four letters in the sequence.[lower-alpha 6] In this sequence, the 20 consonant letters that are used in the modern Javanese language formed a perfect pangram that is often linked to the myth of Aji Saka.[53][54] This sequence has been used by pre-independence Javanese people from at least the 15th ce when the island of Java started to receive significant Islamic influence.[55] There are numerous interpretations on the supposed philosophical and esoteric qualities of the hanacaraka sequence.[56][57]

Hanacaraka Sequence
ꦲꦤꦕꦫꦏ ꦢꦠꦱꦮꦭ ꦥꦝꦗꦪꦚ ꦩꦒꦧꦛꦔ
(h)ana caraka
there were two emissary
data sawala
who disagreed with each other
padha jayanya
they are both equally powerful in fight
maga bathanga
and thus here are their bodies

The hanacaraka sequence is not the only collation scheme that is used to arrange the Javanese script. For Sanskrit and Kawi orthography that requires 33 basic letters, the Javanese script can be arranged phonologically by its place of articulation in accordance to the Sanskrit principle established by Pāṇini.[31][55] This sequence, sometimes called the Kaganga sequence based on its first four letters, is a standard sequence used by other Brahmi descendant scripts such as Devanagari, Tamil, Thai, and Khmer.

Sanskrit Sequence (Kaganga)
Pancawalimukha Ardhasuara Ūṣma Wisarga
Kaṇṭya Tālawya Mūrdhanya Dantya Oṣṭya
ꦏꦑꦒꦓꦔ ꦕꦖꦗꦙꦚ ꦛꦜꦝꦞꦟ ꦠꦡꦢꦣꦤ ꦥꦦꦧꦨꦩ ꦪꦫꦭꦮ ꦯꦰꦱ
ka kha ga gha nga ca cha ja jha nya ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la wa śa ṣa sa ha

Sample texts

Below is an excerpt of Serat Katuranggan Kucing printed in 1871 with modern Javanese language and spelling.[58]

Pada Javanese English
Javanese script Latin
7 ꧅ꦭꦩꦸꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦫꦔꦶꦔꦸꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ꧈ ꦲꦮꦏ꧀ꦏꦺꦲꦶꦉꦁꦱꦢꦪ꧈ ꦭꦩ꧀ꦧꦸꦁꦏꦶꦮꦠꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦺꦴꦁꦥꦸꦠꦶꦃ꧈ ꦊꦏ꧀ꦱꦤꦤ꧀ꦤꦶꦫꦥꦿꦪꦺꦴꦒ꧈ ꦲꦫꦤ꧀ꦮꦸꦭꦤ꧀ꦏꦿꦲꦶꦤꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦠꦶꦤꦼꦏꦤꦤ꧀ꦱꦱꦼꦢꦾꦤ꧀ꦤꦶꦥꦸꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦪꦺꦤ꧀ꦧꦸꦟ꧀ꦝꦼꦭ꧀ꦭꦁꦏꦸꦁꦲꦸꦠꦩ꧈ Lamun sira ngingu kucing, awaké ireng sadaya, lambung kiwa tèmbong putih, leksan nira prayoga, aran wulan krahinan, tinekanan sasedyan nira ipun, yèn buṇḍel langkung utama A completely black cat with white tèmbong (spots) on its left belly is called wulan krahinan. It is a cat that would bring good fortune and accomplishment to all wishes. It is better if its tail is bundhel (short, rounded).
8 ꧅ꦲꦗꦱꦶꦫꦔꦶꦔꦸꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ꧈ ꦭꦸꦫꦶꦏ꧀ꦲꦶꦉꦁꦧꦸꦤ꧀ꦠꦸꦠ꧀ꦥꦚ꧀ꦗꦁ꧈ ꦥꦸꦤꦶꦏꦲꦮꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦭꦩꦠ꧀ꦠꦺ꧈ ꦱꦼꦏꦼꦭꦤ꧀ꦱꦿꦶꦁꦠꦸꦏꦂꦫꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦲꦫꦤ꧀ꦝꦣꦁꦱꦸꦁꦏꦮ꧈ ꦥꦤ꧀ꦲꦢꦺꦴꦃꦫꦶꦗꦼꦏꦶꦤꦶꦥꦸꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦪꦺꦤ꧀ꦧꦸꦟ꧀ꦝꦼꦭ꧀ꦤꦺꦴꦫꦔꦥꦲ꧈ Aja sira ngingu kucing, lurik ireng buntut panjang, punika awon lamaté, sekelan sring tukaran, aran ḍaḍang sungkawa, pan adoh rijeki nipun, yèn buṇḍel nora ngapa A striped black cat with long tail should not be kept as pets. This cat is called dhadhang sungkawa. Your life would encounter frequent arguments and limited wealth. But if its tail is bundhel, then there is no problem.

Below is an excerpt of Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa printed in 1900 using Kawi language and spelling.[59]

Pada Javanese English
Javanese script Latin
XVI
31
꧅ꦗꦲ꧀ꦤꦷꦪꦴꦲ꧀ꦤꦶꦁꦠꦭꦒꦏꦢꦶꦭꦔꦶꦠ꧀꧈ ꦩꦩ꧀ꦧꦁꦠꦁꦥꦴꦱ꧀ꦮꦸꦭꦤꦸꦥꦩꦤꦶꦏꦴ꧈ ꦮꦶꦤ꧀ꦠꦁꦠꦸꦭꦾꦁꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩꦪꦱꦸꦩꦮꦸꦫ꧀꧈ ꦭꦸꦩꦿꦴꦥ꧀ꦮꦺꦏꦁꦱꦫꦶꦏꦢꦶꦗꦭꦢ꧉ Jahnī yāhning talaga kadi langit, mambang tang pās wulan upamanikā, wintang tulya ng kusuma ya sumawur, lumrā pwekang sari kadi jalada. The clear water of the lake reflects the sky, a turtle floats therein as if the moon, the stars are scattered blossoms, spreading their scents as if the clouds.

Comparison with Balinese

The closest relative to the Javanese script is the Balinese script. As direct descendants of the Kawi script, Javanese and Balinese still retains a lot of similarity in terms of basic glyph shape in each letter. One noticeable difference between both script is in their orthography; Modern Balinese orthography is conservative in nature and retain a lot of Sanskrit and Kawi conventions that are no longer used in modern Javanese. For example, the word désa (village) is written in Javanese script as ꦢꦺꦱ. According to Balinese orthography, this may be deemed as coarse or incorrect because désa is a Sanskrit loanword that should have been spelled according to its original pronunciation: déśa ꦢꦺꦯ, using sa murda instead of sa nglegéna. The Balinese language does not differentiate the pronunciation of sa nglegéna and sa murda, but the original Sanskrit spelling is retained whenever possible. One of the reason of this spelling practice is to differentiate homophones in writing, such as between the word pada (ꦥꦢ, earth/ground), pāda (ꦥꦴꦢ, foot), and padha (ꦥꦣ, same), as well as asta (ꦲꦱ꧀ꦠ, is), astha (ꦲꦱ꧀ꦡ, bone), and aṣṭa (ꦄꦰ꧀ꦛ, eight).[60][61][62]

Glyph comparison between the two scripts can be seen below:

Basic Aksara (consonant)
ka kha ga gha nga ca cha ja jha nya ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la wa śa ṣa sa ha/a
Javanese
Balinese
Basic Aksara (vowel)
a ā i ī u ū é ai o au
Javanese ꦄꦴ ꦈꦴ ꦉꦴ ꦎꦴ
Balinese
Diacritic
-a -i -u -ṛ -ṝ -ai -o -au -e -eu -m -ng -r -h pemati
Jawa - ꦽꦴ ꦺꦴ ꦻꦴ ꦼꦴ
Bali - ᬿ
ka ki ku kṛ kṝ kai ko kau ke keu kam kang kar kah k
Jawa ꦏꦴ ꦏꦶ ꦏꦷ ꦏꦸ ꦏꦹ ꦏꦽ ꦏꦽꦴ ꦏꦺ ꦏꦻ ꦏꦺꦴ ꦭꦻꦴ ꦏꦼ ꦏꦼꦴ ꦏꦀ ꦏꦁ ꦏꦂ ꦏꦃ ꦏ꧀
Bali ᬓᬵ ᬓᬶ ᬓᬷ ᬓᬸ ᬓᬹ ᬓᬺ ᬓᬻ ᬓᬾ ᬓᬿ ᬓᭀ ᬓᭁ ᬓᭂ ᬓᭃ ᬓᬁ ᬓᬂ ᬓᬃ ᬓᬄ ᬓ᭄
Numeral
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Javanese
Balinese
Punctuation
Javanese pada lingsa pada lungsi pada pangkat pada adeg-adeg pada luhur
Balinese carik siki carik parérèn carik pamungkah panti pamada
Sentence example (Kawi language)
Javanese ꧅ꦗꦲ꧀ꦤꦷꦪꦴꦲ꧀ꦤꦶꦁꦠꦭꦒꦏꦢꦶꦭꦔꦶꦠ꧀꧈ꦩꦩ꧀ꦧꦁꦠꦁꦥꦴꦱ꧀ꦮꦸꦭꦤꦸꦥꦩꦤꦶꦏꦴ꧈ꦮꦶꦤ꧀ꦠꦁꦠꦸꦭꦾꦁꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩꦪꦱꦸꦩꦮꦸꦫ꧀꧈ꦭꦸꦩꦿꦴꦥ꧀ꦮꦺꦏꦁꦱꦫꦶꦏꦢꦶꦗꦭꦢ꧉
Balinese ᭛ᬚᬳ᭄ᬦᬷᬬᬵᬳ᭄ᬦᬶᬂᬢᬮᬕᬓᬤᬶᬮᬗᬶᬢ᭄᭞ᬫᬫ᭄ᬩᬂᬢᬂᬧᬵᬲ᭄ᬯᬸᬮᬦᬸᬧᬫᬦᬶᬓᬵ᭞ᬯᬶᬦ᭄ᬢᬂᬢᬸᬮ᭄ᬬᬂᬓᬸᬲᬸᬫᬬᬲᬸᬫᬯᬳᬸᬭ᭄᭞ᬮᬸᬫ᭄ᬭᬧ᭄ᬯᬾᬓᬂᬲᬭᬶᬓᬤᬶᬚᬮᬤ᭟
Jahnī yāhning talaga kadi langit,mambang tang pās wulan upamanikā,wintang tulya ng kusuma ya sumawur,lumrā pwékang sari kadi jalada.
(Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa XVI.31)

Unicode

Javanese script was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for Javanese is U+A980U+A9DF. There are 91 code points for Javanese script: 53 letters, 19 punctuation marks, 10 numbers, and 9 vowels:

Javanese[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+A98x
U+A99x
U+A9Ax
U+A9Bx ꦿ
U+A9Cx
U+A9Dx
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 13.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

See also

Notes

  1. VOC established a paper mill in Java between 1665–1681. However, the mill was not able to fulfill paper demands of the island and so stable paper supply continued to rely in shipments from Europe.[12]
  2. Among 19th ce European scholars, the style of the Surakartan scribes is agreed as the most refined among the various regional Javanese hand. So much so that prominent Javanese scholars such as J.F.C. Gericke frequently suggested that the Surakartan style should be used as the ideal shape to which a proper Javanese type design could be based upon.[18]
  3. In 1920, the director of Balai Poestaka D.A. Rinkes wrote in a foreword for the Javanese book catalog in the collection of Bataviaasch Genootschap as follow:

    Bovendien is voor den druk het Latijnsche lettertype gekozen, hetgeen de zaak voor Europeesche gebruikers aanzienlijk vergemakkelijkt, voor Inlandsche belangstellended geenszins een bezwaar oplevert, aangezien de Javaansche taal, evenals bereids voor het Maleisch en het Soendaneesch gebleken is, zeker niet minder duidelijk in Latijnsch type dan in het Javaansche schrift is weer te geven. Daarbij zijn de kosten daarmede ongeveer ⅓ van druk in Javaansch karakter, aangezien drukwerk in dat type, dat bovendien niet ruim voorhanden is, 1½ à 2 x kostbaarder (en tijdroovender) uitkomt dan in Latijnsch type, mede doordat het niet op de zetmachine kan worden gezet, en een pagina Javaansch type sleechts ongeveer de helft aan woorden bevat van een pagina van denzelfden tekst in Latijnsch karakter.[22]

    Furthermore, a choice was made for printing in roman letter-type, which considerably simplifies matters for European users, and for interested Natives presents no difficulty at all, seeing that the Javanese language, just as has already been shown for Malay and Sundanese, can be rendered no less clearly in roman type than in the Javanese script. In this way the costs are about one third of printing in Javanese characters, seeing that printing in that type, which furthermore is not readily available, is one and a half times to twice as expensive (and more time-consuming) than in roman type, also because it cannot be set on a setting-machine, and one page of Javanese type only contains about half the number of words on one page of the same text in roman script.

    —Poerwa Soewignja dan Wirawangsa (1920:4), quoted by Molen (1993:83) —Robson (2011:25)
  4. In comparison, during the Japanese occupation of Cambodia of the same time period, the Japanese government banned the Khmer romanization scheme proposed by the earlier French colonial government and restored the use of Khmer script as the official script of Cambodia.[24]
  5. Several examples of attested Kawi word using mahaprana letters are aṣṭa (ꦄꦰ꧀ꦛ, eight)[33] and nirjhara (ꦤꦶꦂꦙꦫ, waterfall).[34]
  6. Similar naming scheme includes the word "alphabet" which came from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (A-B, alpha-beta).

References

  1. Poerwadarminta, W.J.S (1939). Baoesastra Djawa (in Javanese). Batavia: J.B. Wolters. ISBN 0834803496.
  2. Behrend 1996, pp. 161.
  3. Everson 2008, pp. 1.
  4. Holle, K F (1882). "Tabel van oud-en nieuw-Indische alphabetten". Bijdrage tot de palaeographie van Nederlandsch-Indie. Batavia: W. Bruining.
  5. Casparis, J G de (1975). Indonesian Palaeography: A History of Writing in Indonesia from the Beginnings to C. A.D. 1500. 4. Brill. ISBN 9004041729.
  6. Campbell, George L. (2000). Compendium of the World's Languages. 1. New York: Routledge.
  7. Behrend 1996, pp. 161-162.
  8. Behrend 1996, pp. 162.
  9. Behrend 1996, pp. 167-169.
  10. Hinzler, H I R (1993). "Balinese palm-leaf manuscripts". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 149 (3). doi:10.1163/22134379-90003116.
  11. Behrend 1996, pp. 165-167.
  12. Teygeler, R (2002). "The Myth of Javanese Paper". In R Seitzinger (ed.). Timeless Paper. Rijswijk: Gentenaar & Torley Publishers. ISBN 9073803039.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  13. Molen 2000, pp. 154-158.
  14. Behrend 1996, pp. 172.
  15. Behrend 1996, pp. 172-175.
  16. Molen 2000, pp. 137.
  17. Molen 2000, pp. 136-140.
  18. Molen 2000, pp. 149-154.
  19. Astuti, Kabul (October 2013). Perkembangan Majalah Berbahasa Jawa dalam Pelestarian Sastra Jawa. International Seminar On Austronesian - Non Austronesian Languages and Literature. Bali.
  20. Pick, Albert (1994). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues. Colin R. Bruce II and Neil Shafer (editors) (7th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-207-9.
  21. Robson 2011, pp. 25.
  22. Molen 1993, pp. 83.
  23. Hadiwidjana, R. D. S. (1967). Tata-sastra: ngewrat rembag 4 bab : titi-wara tuwin aksara, titi-tembung, titi-ukara, titi-basa. U.P. Indonesia.
  24. Chandler, David P (1993). A History of Cambodia. Silkworm books. ISBN 9747047098.
  25. Wahab, Abdul (October 2003). Masa Depan Bahasa, Sastra, dan Aksara Daerah (PDF). Kongres Bahasa Indonesia VIII. Kelompok B, Ruang Rote. Pusat Bahasa Departemen Pendidikan Indonesia. pp. 8–9.
  26. Florida, Nancy K (1995). Writing the Past, Inscribing the Future: History as Prophesy in Colonial Java. Duke University Press. p. 37. ISBN 9780822316220.
  27. Mustika, I Ketut Sawitra (12 October 2017). Atmasari, Nina (ed.). "Alumni Sastra Jawa UGM Bantu Koreksi Tulisan Jawa pada Papan Nama Jalan di Jogja". Yogyakarta: SOLOPOS.com. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  28. Eswe, Hana (13 October 2019). "Penunjuk Jalan Beraksara Jawa Salah Tulis Dikritik Penggiat Budaya". Grobogan: SUARABARU.id. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  29. Siti Fatimah (27 February 2020). "Bangkitkan Kongres Bahasa Jawa Setelah Mati Suri". Bantul: RADARJOGJA.co. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  30. Everson 2008, pp. 1-2.
  31. Poerwadarminta, W J S (1930). Serat Mardi Kawi (PDF). 1. Solo: De Bliksem. pp. 9–12.
  32. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 11-13.
  33. Zoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1982). Robson, Stuart Owen (ed.). Old Javanese-English Dictionary. Nijhoff. p. 143, entry 4. ISBN 9024761786.
  34. Zoetmulder, Petrus Josephus (1982). Robson, Stuart Owen (ed.). Old Javanese-English Dictionary. Nijhoff. p. 1191, entry 11. ISBN 9024761786.
  35. Woodard, Roger D (2008). The Ancient Languages of Asia and the Americas. Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN 0521684943.
  36. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 13-15.
  37. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 20.
  38. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 16-17.
  39. Hollander, J J de (1886). Handleiding bij de beoefening der Javaansche Taal en Letterkunde. Leiden: Brill. p. 3.
  40. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 19-24.
  41. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 24-28.
  42. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 29-32.
  43. Everson 2008, pp. 2.
  44. Everson 2008, pp. 4.
  45. Darusuprapta 2002, pp. 44-45.
  46. Everson 2008, pp. 4-5.
  47. Everson 2008, pp. 5.
  48. Behrend 1996, pp. 188.
  49. Behrend 1998, pp. 190.
  50. Behrend 1998, pp. 189-190.
  51. Behrend 1996, pp. 190.
  52. Saktimulya, Sri Ratna (2016). Naskah-naskah Skriptorium Pakualaman. Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia. ISBN 602424228X.
  53. Robson 2011, pp. 13-14.
  54. Rochkyatmo 1996, pp. 8-11.
  55. Everson 2008, pp. 5–6.
  56. Rochkyatmo 1996, pp. 35-41.
  57. Rochkyatmo 1996, pp. 51-58.
  58. Serat Katoerangganing ning Koetjing (ꦱꦼꦫꦠ꧀ꦏꦠꦸꦫꦁꦒꦤ꧀ꦤꦶꦁꦏꦸꦠ꧀ꦕꦶꦁ), printed by GCT Van Dorp & Co in Semarang, 1871. Google Books scan from the collection of Dutch National Library, No 859 B33.
  59. Kern, Hendrik (1900). Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin. Oudjavaansch heldendicht. ’s Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff.
  60. Tinggen, I Nengah (1993). Pedoman Perubahan Ejaan Bahasa Bali dengan Huruf Latin dan Huruf Bali. Singaraja: UD. Rikha. p. 7.
  61. Simpen, I Wayan (1994). Pasang Aksara Bali. Upada Sastra. p. 44.
  62. Sutjaja, I Gusti Made (2006). Kamus Inggris, Bali, Indonesia. Lotus Widya Suari bekerjasama dengan Penerbit Univ. Udayana. ISBN 9798286855.

Bibliography

Orthographical guides

  • Koemisi Kasoesastran ing Sriwedari, Soerakarta (1926). Wawaton Panjeratipoen Temboeng Djawi mawi Sastra Djawi dalasan Angka. Kongres Sriwedari (in Javanese). Weltevreden: Landsdrukkerij. Also known as Wewaton Sriwedari and Paugeran Sriwedari.
  • Darusuprapta (2002). Pedoman Penulisan Aksara Jawa (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Nusantara bekerja sama dengan Pemerintahan Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Daerah Tingkat I Jawa Tengah, dan Daerah Tingkat I Jawa Tengah. ISBN 979-8628-00-4.

Sanskrit and Kawi

  • Poerwadarminta, W J S (1930). Serat Mardi Kawi (in Javanese). 1. Solo: De Bliksem.
  • Poerwadarminta, W J S (1931). Serat Mardi Kawi (in Javanese). 2. Solo: De Bliksem.
  • Poerwadarminta, W J S (1931). Serat Mardi Kawi (in Javanese). 3. Solo: De Bliksem.

Sundanese

Digital collection

Digitized manuscripts

Others

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