Balinese script joins the computer age<\/p>\n
Made Jagra, Contributor, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Many people are concerned with the fate of the Balinese language
\nand Balinese writing. As a pragmatic-materialistic life style
\ncomes hand-in-hand with modernization, there is a fear that
\nBalinese writing will not survive.<\/p>\n
Amid the worry is a hope for a better future for Balinese
\nlanguage and writing, thanks to computer technology that allows
\nthe conversion of the Roman alphabet into Balinese script, called
\nBali Simbar.<\/p>\n
Bali Simbar is the brainchild of I Made Suatjana, a computer
\nenthusiast who explored various language fonts available for
\ncomputers throughout the world.<\/p>\n
He was challenged, as he realized Balinese characters were not
\navailable, which motivated him to design an application for
\nBalinese script. By clicking the buttons on screen, a user can
\nconvert Roman letters into Balinese ones. But users of the
\napplication must understand pasang aksara, or the Balinese
\nwriting system, which is complex.<\/p>\n
What Suatjana has done, however, is helpful for the
\ndevelopment of writing in Balinese. Many researchers, lecturers,
\nstudents and others who want to write in Balinese -- including
\nDutch researchers of Balinese culture -- use Suatjana's
\napplication. They do not need to write in Balinese by hand, and
\nthe results are neat and consistent in size.<\/p>\n
Suatjana worked hard to improve the application so the Roman-
\nBalinese conversion is accurate. Now, users can even convert
\nvice-versa -- from Balinese into Roman letters at the click of a
\nmouse.<\/p>\n
The Bali Simbar application was on display during the recent
\nIndependence Day exhibition, and Suatjana had hoped to gain
\nsupport from the Balinese administration for the development of
\nhis work. Unfortunately, he received a cool response.<\/p>\n
\"My friends in government institutions did not seem to be
\ninterested. They are not interested in something that is
\nimportant for the development of Balinese culture,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Balinese government indeed seems uninterested in the
\ndevelopment of Balinese language and writing. In education, for
\nexample, a linguist at the University of Udayana's School of
\nLetters, I Gusti Made Sutjaja, observed no effort had been made
\nto improve textbooks. He said the books used for teaching
\nBalinese language and writing were the same as those he had used
\nin elementary school during the 1950s.<\/p>\n
\"There is no new textbook. This shows that there no effort is
\nbeing made to develop the textbooks. Balinese folklore should be
\ndeveloped,\" said Sutjaja, who has published a number of Balinese
\ndictionaries and an anthology of Balinese folklore in three
\nlanguages: Indonesian, English and Balinese, using Balinese
\nwriting.<\/p>\n
Besides, he said, the Balinese people did not have pride in
\ntheir unique writing system, unlike the Japanese, who are proud
\nof their Hiragana and Katakana script.<\/p>\n
When he visited Japan, he said, he saw the words \"Welcome\" in
\nHiragana above the terminal gate, which inspired him to make a
\nsuggestion during a 2003 seminar to post a welcome sign at Ngurah
\nRai International Airport in Balinese script reading Om
\nSwastyastu.<\/p>\n
The airport director at the time, IGM Dhordy, agreed, and
\ndomestic visitors now arrive in Denpasar to a welcome in
\nBalinese.<\/p>\n
The Bali administration has actually made an effort to
\npreserve Balinese script by issuing a regulation obliging all
\nlocal government institutions to install signs bearing both Roman
\nand Balinese script.<\/p>\n
However, Suatjaja said this was not enough -- the
\ninstitutions' names should also appear in a Romanized version of
\nthe Balinese, so that people who cannot read Balinese script can
\nstill \"read\" Balinese. For example, aside from Ruang Sidang, or
\ncourtroom, and its translation in Balinese script, the sign
\nshould also read Genah Pesamuhan.<\/p>\n
Suatjaja suggested signage for toilet facilities be translated
\ninto Balinese, and written genah mewarih and its equivalent in
\nBalinese script.<\/p>\n
Both Sutjaja and Suatjana believe the island culture's
\nindigenous language and writing will survive, and further, that
\nthey have a future -- not only because Balinese script has
\nentered the technological era, but also because it is the heart
\nand soul of Balinese culture.<\/p>\n
In a culture in which daily life is inseparable from the
\npeople's unique Hindu faith, all Balinese priests and religious
\nleaders refer to lontar, or holy scripture written in Balinese on
\npalm leaves.<\/p>\n
\"The Balinese feel more comfortable if texts on religion and
\ntradition in Bali are written in the Balinese language, even
\nthough they may be in the Roman alphabet,\" Sutjaja said.<\/p>\n
Balinese script has its own spirit, power and magic. According
\nto Balinese Hinduism, written script is the manifestation of
\nSanghyang Saraswati, the Goddess of Science, and is revered by
\nthe Balinese as they would revere the goddess.<\/p>\n
\"Priests, undagi (traditional Balinese architects), balian
\n(traditional healers) and others use the script as an embodiment
\nof the spirit of their activities. In short, cultural activities
\nof the Balinese maintain the tradition of Balinese script,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Still, Sutjaja called for the Balinese government and people
\nto make a greater effort in preserving the Balinese language and
\nwriting.<\/p>\n
The best and most effective way is through education, and he
\nfeels teaching Balinese language and writing should be restored
\nand revitalized within the context of the contemporary era. Human
\nresources development should also be undertaken to create a
\nbetter future for Balinese language and writing.<\/p>\n
The change will not occur overnight, and Sutjaja believes the
\nprocess will take from 10 to 20 years.<\/p>\n
\"There are thousands of languages in the world, but only a few
\nhave their own writing system,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Balinese language and writing have a long history, and
\nresearch has shown that Balinese script first emerged in the
\nninth or 10th century from written Pallawa, or Ancient Balinese.
\nBalinese writing is a syllabic system, which means that a single
\ncharacter represents a single syllable consisting of a consonant
\nand a vowel.<\/p>\n
The historical development of the Balinese language is divided
\ninto three stages: First came Ancient or Early Balinese, followed
\nby Middle Balinese, or Kawi-Bali, and finally, Bali Kapara, or
\nModern Balinese.<\/p>\n
Suatjana said Balinese script was first discovered engraved on
\nsmall Buddhist stupas in Pejeng and other characters found on
\nancient coins were believed to be Buddhist mantras. The type of
\nscript was called Kalasan, and it was estimated that the stupas
\nwere crafted in 780 A.D.<\/p>\n
Other artifacts dating back to 815 A.D. bore Ancient Balinese
\nwriting, from which modern Balinese is believed to have evolved.
\nThe oldest lontar, found in Sidemen, also bore Ancient Balinese
\nscript.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balinese-script-joins-the-computer-age-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}