Balinese script joins the computer age

Balinese script joins the computer age

Made Jagra, Contributor, Denpasar

Many people are concerned with the fate of the Balinese language
and Balinese writing. As a pragmatic-materialistic life style
comes hand-in-hand with modernization, there is a fear that
Balinese writing will not survive.

Amid the worry is a hope for a better future for Balinese
language and writing, thanks to computer technology that allows
the conversion of the Roman alphabet into Balinese script, called
Bali Simbar.

Bali Simbar is the brainchild of I Made Suatjana, a computer
enthusiast who explored various language fonts available for
computers throughout the world.

He was challenged, as he realized Balinese characters were not
available, which motivated him to design an application for
Balinese script. By clicking the buttons on screen, a user can
convert Roman letters into Balinese ones. But users of the
application must understand pasang aksara, or the Balinese
writing system, which is complex.

What Suatjana has done, however, is helpful for the
development of writing in Balinese. Many researchers, lecturers,
students and others who want to write in Balinese -- including
Dutch researchers of Balinese culture -- use Suatjana's
application. They do not need to write in Balinese by hand, and
the results are neat and consistent in size.

Suatjana worked hard to improve the application so the Roman-
Balinese conversion is accurate. Now, users can even convert
vice-versa -- from Balinese into Roman letters at the click of a
mouse.

The Bali Simbar application was on display during the recent
Independence Day exhibition, and Suatjana had hoped to gain
support from the Balinese administration for the development of
his work. Unfortunately, he received a cool response.

"My friends in government institutions did not seem to be
interested. They are not interested in something that is
important for the development of Balinese culture," he said.

The Balinese government indeed seems uninterested in the
development of Balinese language and writing. In education, for
example, a linguist at the University of Udayana's School of
Letters, I Gusti Made Sutjaja, observed no effort had been made
to improve textbooks. He said the books used for teaching
Balinese language and writing were the same as those he had used
in elementary school during the 1950s.

"There is no new textbook. This shows that there no effort is
being made to develop the textbooks. Balinese folklore should be
developed," said Sutjaja, who has published a number of Balinese
dictionaries and an anthology of Balinese folklore in three
languages: Indonesian, English and Balinese, using Balinese
writing.

Besides, he said, the Balinese people did not have pride in
their unique writing system, unlike the Japanese, who are proud
of their Hiragana and Katakana script.

When he visited Japan, he said, he saw the words "Welcome" in
Hiragana above the terminal gate, which inspired him to make a
suggestion during a 2003 seminar to post a welcome sign at Ngurah
Rai International Airport in Balinese script reading Om
Swastyastu.

The airport director at the time, IGM Dhordy, agreed, and
domestic visitors now arrive in Denpasar to a welcome in
Balinese.

The Bali administration has actually made an effort to
preserve Balinese script by issuing a regulation obliging all
local government institutions to install signs bearing both Roman
and Balinese script.

However, Suatjaja said this was not enough -- the
institutions' names should also appear in a Romanized version of
the Balinese, so that people who cannot read Balinese script can
still "read" Balinese. For example, aside from Ruang Sidang, or
courtroom, and its translation in Balinese script, the sign
should also read Genah Pesamuhan.

Suatjaja suggested signage for toilet facilities be translated
into Balinese, and written genah mewarih and its equivalent in
Balinese script.

Both Sutjaja and Suatjana believe the island culture's
indigenous language and writing will survive, and further, that
they have a future -- not only because Balinese script has
entered the technological era, but also because it is the heart
and soul of Balinese culture.

In a culture in which daily life is inseparable from the
people's unique Hindu faith, all Balinese priests and religious
leaders refer to lontar, or holy scripture written in Balinese on
palm leaves.

"The Balinese feel more comfortable if texts on religion and
tradition in Bali are written in the Balinese language, even
though they may be in the Roman alphabet," Sutjaja said.

Balinese script has its own spirit, power and magic. According
to Balinese Hinduism, written script is the manifestation of
Sanghyang Saraswati, the Goddess of Science, and is revered by
the Balinese as they would revere the goddess.

"Priests, undagi (traditional Balinese architects), balian
(traditional healers) and others use the script as an embodiment
of the spirit of their activities. In short, cultural activities
of the Balinese maintain the tradition of Balinese script," he
said.

Still, Sutjaja called for the Balinese government and people
to make a greater effort in preserving the Balinese language and
writing.

The best and most effective way is through education, and he
feels teaching Balinese language and writing should be restored
and revitalized within the context of the contemporary era. Human
resources development should also be undertaken to create a
better future for Balinese language and writing.

The change will not occur overnight, and Sutjaja believes the
process will take from 10 to 20 years.

"There are thousands of languages in the world, but only a few
have their own writing system," he said.

Balinese language and writing have a long history, and
research has shown that Balinese script first emerged in the
ninth or 10th century from written Pallawa, or Ancient Balinese.
Balinese writing is a syllabic system, which means that a single
character represents a single syllable consisting of a consonant
and a vowel.

The historical development of the Balinese language is divided
into three stages: First came Ancient or Early Balinese, followed
by Middle Balinese, or Kawi-Bali, and finally, Bali Kapara, or
Modern Balinese.

Suatjana said Balinese script was first discovered engraved on
small Buddhist stupas in Pejeng and other characters found on
ancient coins were believed to be Buddhist mantras. The type of
script was called Kalasan, and it was estimated that the stupas
were crafted in 780 A.D.

Other artifacts dating back to 815 A.D. bore Ancient Balinese
writing, from which modern Balinese is believed to have evolved.
The oldest lontar, found in Sidemen, also bore Ancient Balinese
script.