Balinese

The Balinese alphabet or Carakan descended ultimately from the from Brahmi script of ancient India by way of the Pallava and Old Kawi scripts. The oldest known inscriptions in the Balinese alphabet date from the 11th century AD, but they are thought to be reproductions of texts originally written on palm leaves at an earlier date.

The Balinese alphabet is still used to this day, although very few people are familiar with it and it is mainly used for religious works. Generally a version of the Latin alphabet is used instead, though what little Balinese printed material exists in the Latin alphabet consists mainly of school books, religious works and a few books of stories. Balinese children are taught to read and write Balinese in the Latin alphabet at primary school, though few read or write it in later life.

Notable features

Type of writing system: syllabic alphabet / abugida.
Each consonant has an inherent vowel. Other vowels can be indicated using diacritics which appear above, below, in front of or after the consonant. If the vowels appear in the middle of a word, the vowel signs are attached to the syllable ha. Independent vowel letters are used when a word begins with a vowel.
Each consonant has an appended form (Pangangge Akśara) which is used when one consonant follows another without a vowel in between.
Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines.
There are no spaces between words.

Used to write

Balinese (Basa Bali), an Austronesian language spoken by about 3 million people mainly on the Indonesian island of Bali and in western part of the neighbouring island of Lombok. Balinese is also spoken in Nusapenida, Java and Sulawesi.

Balinese consonants (Akśara Wreşāstra)

Balinese consonants

The appended forms (Pangangge Akśara) are shown in red.

Additional Balinese consonants (Akśara Şwalalita)

There consonants are used for writing words from the Kawi (Old Javanese) language.

Balinese Kawi consonants

The final consonants are shown in red.

Balinese vowels (Akśara Suara)

Balinese independent vowels

Balinese vowel diacrtics

Balinese semi vowels

Balinese sound killers (Pangangge Tengenan)

These symbols are used at the ends of syllables to add a consonant sound or to mute the inherent vowel.

Balinese sound killers (Pangangge Tengenan)

Balinese numerals

Balinse numerals

Miscellaneous Balinese symbols

Balinese punctuation

The Balinese font used on this page was created by Jason Glavy

Balinese sample texts (Balinese alphabet)

Sample text in the Balinese alphabet

Transliteration

Akeh akśarane, 47, luir ipun: akśara suara, 14, akśara wianjana, 33, akśara suara punika talĕr dados pangangge suara, tur madrĕwe suara kakalih, kawāśt,anin: suara hrĕswa miwah dīrgha

Translation

There are many letters of the alphabet, 47, consisting of 14 vowels, 33 consonants. Those vowels also can be used as sounds, and they have two, called short vowels and long vowels.

Article 1 of the UDHR in the Balinese alphabet

Transliteration

Makasami manusane kaembasin mahardika lan pateh. sajeroning kahanan lan kuasa. ipun kanugrahin wiweka lan budi. pantaraning manusa mangdane paras-paros masemetonan.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Translation by Tri Ediwan

Another version of this text

Sami manusane sane nyruwadi wantah merdeka tur maduwe kautamaan lan hak-hak sane pateh. Sami kalugrain papineh lan idep tur mangdane pada masawitra melarapan semangat pakulawargaan.

Listen to a recording of this text by Ali Aulia Ghozali

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Balinese | Tower of Babel in Balinese | Balinese books