Javanese script

Not to be confused withJawi script,Japanese script,orJavaScript.

Javanese Aksara Jawa Åksårå Jåwå ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦗꦮ
Script type	Abugida
Time period	c. 1500sCE – present
Direction	Left-to-right
Languages	Javanese Sundanese Madurese Sasak Malay Indonesian Kawi Sanskrit
Related scripts
Parent systems	Egyptian Proto-Sinaitic Phoenician Aramaic Brahmi script Tamil Brahmi Pallava script Kawi script Javanese
Sister systems	Balinese Alpha bet Batak Alpha bet Baybayin scripts Lontara Alpha bet Makasar Sundanese script Rencong Alpha bet Rejang Alpha bet
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Java(361),​Javanese
Unicode
Unicode alias	Javanese
Unicode range	U+A980–U+A9DF

Javanese script(natively known asAksara Jawa,Hanacaraka,Carakan,andDentawyanjana)is one ofIndonesia's traditional scripts developed on the island ofJava.The script is primarily used to write theJavanese languageand has also been used to write several other regional languages such asSundaneseandMadurese,the regionallingua francaMalay,as well as the historical languagesKawiandSanskrit.It heavily influenced theBalinese scriptfrom which the system forSasakdeveloped. Javanese script was actively used by the Javanese people for writing day-to-day and literary texts from at least the mid-16th centuryCEuntil the mid-20th century CE, before it was gradually supplanted by the Latin Alpha bet. Today, the script is taught in theYogyakarta Special Regionas well as the provinces ofCentral JavaandEast Javaas part of the local curriculum, but with very limited function in everyday use.

Javanese script is anabugidawriting system which consists of 20 to 33 basic letters, depending on the language being written. Like otherBrahmic scripts,each letter (called anaksara) represents a syllable with theinherent vowel/a/ or /ɔ/ which can be changed with the placement ofdiacriticsaround the letter. Each letter has a conjunct form calledpasangan,which nullifies the inherent vowel of the previous letter. Traditionally, the script is written without spaces between words (scriptio continua) but is interspersed with a group of decorativepunctuation.

History

Javanese script's evolutionary history can be traced fairly well because significant amounts of inscriptional evidence left behind allowed forepigraphicalstudies to be carried out. The oldest root of Javanese script is theTamil-Brahmiscript which evolved into thePallava scriptin Southern and Southeast Asia between the 6th and 8th centuries. The Pallava script, in turn, evolved into Kawi script, which was actively used throughout Indonesia's Hindu-Buddhist period between the 8th and 15th centuries. In various parts of Indonesia, Kawi script would then evolve into Indonesia's various traditional scripts, one of them being Javanese script.The modern Javanese script seen today evolved from Kawi script between the 14th and 15th centuries, a period in which Java began to receive significant Islamic influence.

From the 15th until the mid-20th centuries, Javanese script was actively used by the Javanese people for writing day-to-day and literary texts spanning a wide range of themes. 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 of historical and local styles of Javanese writing throughout the ages. The great differences between regional styles make the "Javanese script" appear like a family of scripts.Javanese writing traditions were especially cultivated in theKratonenvironment in Javanese cultural centers, such asYogyakartaandSurakarta.However, Javanese texts are known to be made and used by various layers of society with varying usage intensities between regions. InWest Java,for example, the script was mainly used by the Sundanese nobility (ménak) due to the political influence of theMataram kingdom.However, most Sundanese people within the same time period more commonly used thePegon scriptwhich was adapted from theArabic Alpha bet.Javanese writing tradition also relied on periodic copying due to the deterioration of writing materials in the tropical Javanese climate; as a result, many physical manuscripts that are available now are 18th or 19th century copies, though their contents can usually be traced to far older prototypes.

Media

Serat Yusufinpalm leaf(lontar) form, Tropenmuseum collection

Serat Yusufin paper codex form,Museum Sonobudoyocollection

Javanese script has been written with numerous media that have shifted over time. Kawi script, which is ancestral to Javanese script, is often found on stone inscriptions and copper plates. Everyday writing in Kawi was done inpalm leaf form(ocally known aslontar), which are processed leaves of the tal palm (Borassus flabellifer). Eachlontarleaf has the shape of a slim rectangle 2.8 to 4 cm in width and varies in length between 20 and 80 cm. Each leaf can only accommodate around 4 lines of writing, which are incised horizontally 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.

In the 13th century,paperbegan to be used in theMalay Archipelago.This introduction is related to the spread ofIslamin the region, since Islamic writing traditions were supported by the use of paper andcodexmanuscript. As Java began to receive significant Islamic influence in the 15th century, coinciding with the period in which Kawi script began to transition into the modern Javanese script, paper became widespread in Java while the use oflontaronly persisted in a few regions.There are two kinds of paper that are commonly used in Javanese manuscript: locally produced paper calleddaluang,and imported paper.Daluang(also spelleddluwang) is a paper made from the beaten bark of thesaéhtree (Broussonetia papyrifera). Visually,daluangcan be easily differentiated from regular paper by its distinctive brown tint and fibrous appearance. A well madedaluanghas a smooth surface and is quite durable against manuscript damage commonly associated with tropical climates, especially insect damage. Meanwhile, a coarsedaluanghas a bumpy surface and tends to break easily.Daluangis commonly used in manuscripts produced by Javanesekraton(palaces) andpesantren(Islamic boarding schools) between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Most imported paper in Indonesian manuscripts came from Europe. In the beginning, only a few scribes were able to use European paper due to its high price—paper made using European methods at the time could only be imported in limited numbers.In colonial administration, the use of European paper had to be supplemented with Javanesedaluangand imported Chinese paper until at least the 19th century. As the paper supply increased due to growing imports from Europe, scribes in palaces and urban settlements gradually opted to use European paper as the primary medium for writing, whiledaluangpaper was increasingly associated withpesantrenand rural manuscripts.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 in Javanese script could be mass-produced and became increasingly common in various aspects of pre-independence Javanese life, from letters, books, and newspapers, to magazines, and even advertisements and paper currency.

Usage

Details ofSerat Selarasamanuscript copied inSurabaya,1804. The two leftmost figures can be seen reciting a text.

From the 15th century until the mid-20th century, 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 the significant influence of oral tradition, reading in pre-independence Javanese society was usually a performance; Javanese literature texts are almost always composed in metrical verses that are designed to be recited, thus Javanese texts are not only judged by their content and language, but also by the merit of their melody and rhythm during recitation sessions.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 cater to local taste and prevailing trends. As a result, Javanese literary works such as theCerita Panjido not have a single authoritative version referenced by all others; instead, theCerita Panjiis a loose collection of numerous tales with various versions bound together by the common thread of the Panji character.Literature genres with the longest attested history are Sanskrit epics such as theRamayanaand theMahabharata,which have been recomposed since the Kawi period and introduced hundreds of familiar characters in Javanesewayangstories today, includingArjuna,Srikandi,Ghatotkachaand many others. Since the introduction of Islam, characters of Middle-Eastern provenance such asAmir Hamzahand theProphet Josephhave also been frequent subjects of writing. There are also local characters, usually set in Java's semi-legendary past, such asPrince Panji,Damar Wulan,andCalon Arang.

When studies of Javanese language and literature began to attract European attention in the 19th century, an initiative to create a Javanesemovable typebegan to take place in order to mass-produce and quickly disseminate Javanese literary materials. One of the earliest attempts to create a movable Javanese type was by Paul van Vlissingen. His typeface was first put in use in theBataviasche Courantnewspaper's October 1825 issue.While lauded as a considerable technical achievement, many at the time felt that Vlissingen's design was 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 varying degrees of success as the study of Javanese developed over the years.In 1838, Taco Roorda completed his typeface, known asTuladha Jejeg,based on the hand ofSurakartanscribeswith some European typographical elements mixed in. Roorda's font garnered positive feedback and soon became the main choice to print any Javanese text. From then, reading materials in printed Javanese using Roorda's typeface became widespread among the Javanese populace and were widely used in materials other than literature. The establishment of print technology gave rise to a printing industry which, for the next century, produced various materials in printed Javanese, from administrative papers and school books, to mass media such as theKajawènmagazine which was entirely printed in Javanese in all of its articles and columns.In government administration, Javanese script was part of the multilingual legal text on theNetherlands Indies guldenbanknotes circulated by theBank of Java.

• Some examples of use
• 
  Opening pages ofSerat Jatipustakacopied in 1830, Denver Museum collection
• 
  Opening page ofBabad Tanah Jawicopied in 1862, Library of Congress collection
• 
  A Javanese type sample from theAmsterdamtype foundry, 1910
• 
  Cover ofKajawènmagazine, issue 65, 16 August 1933
• 
  Serat kekancingan,a document issued by theKraton of Yogyakartain 1935, Dewantara Kirti Griya Museum collection
• 
  Serat Babad Tubanpublished byTan Khoen Swiein 1936

Decline

As literacy rates and the demand for reading materials increased at the beginning of the 20th century, Javanese publishers paradoxically began to decrease the amount of Javanese script publication due to a practical and economic consideration: printing any text in Javanese script at the time required twice the amount of paper compared to the same text rendered inthe Latin Alpha bet,making Javanese texts more expensive and time-consuming to produce. In order to lower production costs and keep book prices affordable to the general populace, many publishers (such as the government-ownedBalai Pustaka) gradually prioritized publications in the Latin Alpha bet.However, the Javanese population at the time maintained the use of Javanese script in various aspects of everyday life. It was, for example, considered more polite to write a letter using Javanese script, especially one addressed toward an elder or superior. Many publishers, including Balai Pustaka, continued to print books, newspapers, and magazines in Javanese script due to sufficient, albeit declining, demand. The use of Javanese script only started to drop significantly during theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indiesbeginning in 1942.Some writers attribute this sudden decline to prohibitions issued by the Japanese government banning the use of native script in the public sphere, though no documentary evidence of such a ban has yet been found.Nevertheless, the use of Javanese script did decline significantly during the Japanese occupation and it never recovered its previous widespread use in post-independence Indonesia.

Contemporary use

In contemporary usage, Javanese script is still taught as part of the local curriculum inYogyakarta,Central Java,and theEast Java Province.Several local newspapers and magazines have columns written in Javanese script, and the script can frequently be seen on public signage. However, many contemporary attempts to revive Javanese script are symbolic rather than functional; there are no longer, for example, periodicals like theKajawènmagazine that publish significant content in 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 meaningfully.Therefore, as recently as 2019, it is not uncommon to see Javanese script signage in public places with numerous misspellings and basic mistakes.Several hurdles in revitalizing the use of Javanese script includes information technology equipment that does not support correct rendering of 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 encourage the use of Javanese script in the public sphere, especially with digital devices.

Letters

Javanese script contains around 45 letters. Over the course of its development, some letters have become obsolete and are only used in certain contexts. As such, it is common to divide the letters in several groups based on their function.

Consonants and basic syllables

A basic letter in Javanese script is called anaksarawhich represents a syllable. Theaksara wyanjana(ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫ ꦮꦾꦚ꧀ꦗꦤ) are consonant letters with an inherent vowel, either /a/ or /ɔ/. As aBrahmi-derived script,Javanese script originally had 33wyanjanaletters to write the 33 consonants found inSanskritandKawi.

Aksara wyanjana

	Unvoiced		Voiced		Nasal	Semivowel	Sibilant	Fricative
	Unaspirated	Aspirated	Unaspirated	Aspirated
Velar	ꦏ ka	ꦑ kha	ꦒ ga	ꦓ gha	ꦔ ṅa			ꦲ ha/a
Palatal	ꦕ ca	ꦖ cha	ꦗ ja	ꦙ jha	ꦚ ña	ꦪ ya	ꦯ śa
Retroflex	ꦛ ṭa	ꦜ ṭha	ꦝ ḍa	ꦞ ḍha	ꦟ ṇa	ꦫ ra	ꦰ ṣa
Dental	ꦠ ta	ꦡ tha	ꦢ da	ꦣ dha	ꦤ na	ꦭ la	ꦱ sa
Labial	ꦥ pa	ꦦ pha	ꦧ ba	ꦨ bha	ꦩ ma	ꦮ wa

The modern Javanese script only uses 20 consonants and 20 basic letters known as [ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫ ꦔ꧀ꦭꦼꦒꦺꦤ]Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= (help) Modern Javanese script is commonly arranged in thehanacarakasequence, apangramwhose name is derived from its first five letters, similar to the word "Alpha bet" which comes from the first two letters of theGreek Alpha bet,Alphaandbeta.This sequence has been used at least the 15th century, when the island of Java started to receive significant Islamic influence.There are numerous interpretations on the supposed philosophical and esoteric qualities of thehanacarakasequence,and it is often linked to the myth ofAji Saka.

Hana caraka (modern sequence)

ꦲ ha	ꦤ na	ꦕ ca	ꦫ ra	ꦏ ka	Javanese:ꦲꦤꦕꦫꦏ,romanized:hana caraka,lit. 'There were (two) emissaries.'
ꦢ da	ꦠ ta	ꦱ sa	ꦮ wa	ꦭ la	Javanese:ꦢꦠꦱꦮꦭ,romanized:data sawala,lit. 'They began to fight.'
ꦥ pa	ꦝ dha	ꦗ ja	ꦪ ya	ꦚ ña	Javanese:ꦥꦝꦗꦪꦚ,romanized:padha jayanya,lit. 'Their valor was equal'
ꦩ ma	ꦒ ga	ꦧ ba	ꦛ tha	ꦔ ṅa	Javanese:ꦩꦒꦧꦛꦔ,romanized:maga bathanga,lit. 'They both fell dead.'

Vowels and vowel diacritics

Javanese vowel letters can be used to represent independent or word-initial vowels. A vowel sound following a consonant is written by adding ta diacritic, or dependent form of a vowel to a basic syllable (Javanese:ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦔꦤ꧀,romanized:sandhangan), which modifies the letter's inherent vowel sound. Vowel diacritics are known assandhangan swara(Javanese:ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦱ꧀ꦮꦫ). Conventionally, a word-initial vowel is written by adding the appropriate diacritics to⟨ꦲ⟩,which serves as a null consonant, but in modern spelling, the independent vowels may also be used, especially to disambiguate whether⟨ꦲ⟩should be aspirated.

As with thewyanjanaletters, the modern Javanese language does not use the whole inventory of vowels. Only short vowels and vowel diacritics are taught and used in contemporary Javanese, while long vowels and their diacritics are used in Sanskrit and Kawi.

Aksara swarawith theirsandhangan swaraand examples with⟨ꦲ and ꦏ⟩

Short						Long
ꦄ	ꦆ	ꦈ	ꦌ IPA:/e/	ꦎ		ꦄꦴ	ꦇ	ꦈꦴ	ꦍ IPA:/aj/	ꦎꦴ IPA:/au/
-	wulu ꦶ	suku ꦸ	taling ꦺ	taling-tarung ꦺꦴ	pepet ꦼ	tarung ꦴ	wulu melik ꦷ	suku mendut ꦹ	dirga muré ꦻ	dirga muré-tarung ꦻꦴ	pepet-tarung ꦼꦴ
ꦲ a	ꦲꦶ i	ꦲꦸ u	ꦲꦺ é	ꦲꦺꦴ o	ꦲꦼ e	ꦲꦴ ā	ꦲꦷ ī	ꦲꦹ ū	ꦲꦻ ai	ꦭꦻꦴ au	ꦲꦼꦴ eu
ꦏ ka	ꦏꦶ ki	ꦏꦸ ku	ꦏꦺ ké	ꦏꦺꦴ ko	ꦏꦼ ke	ꦏꦴ kā	ꦏꦷ kī	ꦏꦹ kū	ꦏꦻ kai	ꦏꦻꦴ kau	ꦏꦼꦴ keu

Syllabic consonants

Aksara gantèn

ꦉ ṛ IPA:/rə/	ꦊ ḷ IPA:/lə/
ꦉꦴ ṝ	ꦋ ḹ

Pa cerek⟨ꦉ⟩,pa cerek dirgha⟨ꦉꦴ⟩,nga lelet⟨ꦊ⟩,andnga lelet raswadi⟨ꦋ⟩aresyllabic consonantsthat are primarily used in Sanskrit.When adapted to other languages, the function and pronunciation of these letters tend to vary. In modern Javanese,pa cerekandnga leletare mandatory shorthand for combinations ofra + e⟨ꦫ + ◌ ꦼ → ꦉ⟩andla + e⟨ꦭ + ◌ ꦼ → ꦊ⟩.Both letters are usually re-categorized into their own class calledaksara gantènin modern tables.

Closed syllables

Closed syllables are written by adding diacritics to base syllables (Javanese:ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦥꦚꦶꦒꦼꦒꦶꦁ ꦮꦤ꧀ꦢ,romanized:sandhangan panyigeging wanda).

Panyigeging vanda

panyangga ꦀ nasal	cecek ꦁ -ng	layar ꦂ -r	wignyan ꦃ -h	pangkon ꧀ virama
ꦏꦀ kam	ꦏꦁ kang	ꦏꦂ kar	ꦏꦃ kah	ꦏ꧀ k

Semivowels and their diacritics

Consonant clusters containing asemivowelare written by adding a diacritic (Javanese:ꦱꦤ꧀ꦝꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦮꦾꦚ꧀ꦗꦤ,romanized:sandhangan wyanjana) to the base syllable.

Sandhangan wyanjana

keret ꦽ -re-	pèngkal ꦾ -y-	cakra ꦿ -r-	panjingan la ꧀ꦭ -l-	gembung ꧀ꦮ -w-
ꦏꦽ kre	ꦏꦾ kya	ꦏꦿ kra	ꦏ꧀ꦭ kla	ꦏ꧀ꦮ kwa

Conjunct consonants

The inherent vowel of each basic letter can be suppressed with the use of thevirama,natively known aspangkon.However, thepangkonis not normally used in the middle of a word or sentence. For closed syllables in such positions, a conjunct form calledpasangan(ꦥꦱꦔꦤ꧀) is used instead. Every basic letter has apasangancounterpart, and if apasanganis attached to a base letter, the inherent vowel of the attached letter is nullified.

Nglegena pasagnan

ꦲ ꧀ꦲ ha	ꦤ ꧀ꦤ na	ꦕ ꧀ꦕ ca	ꦫ ꧀ꦫ ra	ꦏ ꧀ꦏ ka	ꦢ ꧀ꦢ da	ꦠ ꧀ꦠ ta	ꦱ ꧀ꦱ sa	ꦮ ꧀ꦮ wa	ꦭ ꧀ꦭ la
ꦥ ꧀ꦥ pa	ꦣ ꧀ꦝ dha	ꦗ ꧀ꦗ ja	ꦪ ꧀ꦪ ya	ꦚ ꧀ꦚ ña	ꦩ ꧀ꦩ ma	ꦒ ꧀ꦒ ga	ꦧ ꧀ꦧ ba	ꦡ ꧀ꦛ tha	ꦔ ꧀ꦔ nga

Murda and mahaprana

Some of the original letters that originally represented sounds absent in modern Javanese have been repurposed as honorific letters (Javanese:ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫ ꦩꦸꦂꦢ,romanized:aksara murda) which are used for in writing the respected personal names of respected figures, be they legendary, such asꦨꦶꦩ,Bimaor real, such asJavanese:ꦦꦑꦸꦨꦸꦮꦟ,romanized:Pakubuwana.Of the 20 basic letters, only nine have correspondingmurdaforms. Because of this, the use ofmurdais not identical to the capitalization ofproper names.If the first syllable of a name does not have amurdaform, the next syllable that does can be written as amurda.Highly respected names may be written completely inmurda,or with as manymurdaas possible, but in essence, the use ofmurdais optional and may be inconsistent in traditional texts. For example, the nameGanican be spelled asꦒꦤꦶ(withoutmurda),ꦓꦤꦶ(with amurdaon the first syllable), orꦓꦟꦶwith every syllable as amurda.

Aksara murdaand their correspondingpasangan

Aksara murda	ꦟ na	ꦖ ca	ꦬ ra	ꦑ ka	ꦡ ta	ꦯ sa	ꦦ pa	ꦘ nya	ꦓ ga	ꦨ ba
Pasangan	꧀ꦟ	꧀ꦖ ch	꧀ꦬ	꧀ꦑ	꧀ꦡ	꧀ꦯ	꧀ꦦ	꧀ꦘ	꧀ꦓ	꧀ꦨ

The remaining letters that are not classified asnglegénaor repurposed asmurdaareaksara mahaprana,letters that are used in Sanskrit and Kawi texts but obsolete in modern Javanese.

Aksara mahapranaandpasagnan

ꦣ da	ꦰ sa	ꦞ dha	ꦙ ja	ꦜ tha
꧀ꦣ	꧀ꦰ	꧀ꦞ	꧀ꦙ	꧀ꦜ

Additional letters in loan words

Javanese script includes a number of additional letters used to write sounds found in words found in loanwords (Javanese:ꦲꦏ꧀ꦱꦫ ꦫꦺꦏꦤ꧀,romanized:aksara rékan).These letters were initially developed to writeArabicloanwords, later adapted to writeDutchloanwords, and in contemporary usage are also used to writeIndonesianandEnglishloanwords. Mostrékanletters are formed by adding thececak teludiacritic to the letters that are considered closest-sounding to the foreign sound in question. For example,⟨ꦥ꦳⟩(phát) is formed by adding acecak teludiacritic⟨꦳⟩to⟨ꦥ⟩(pa). The combination ofwyanjanaletter and corresponding foreign sounds for eachrékanmay be different between sources.

Someaksara rékan

Javanese	ḥa ꦲ꦳	kha ꦏ꦳	qa ꦐ	dza ꦢ꦳	sya ꦱ꦳	fa/va ꦥ꦳	za ꦗ꦳	gha ꦒ꦳	ʾa ꦔ꦳
Arabic	ح	خ	ق	ذ	ش	ف	ز	غ	ع

Numerals

Javanese script has its own numerals (Javanese:ꦲꦁꦏ,romanized:angka) that behave similarly toArabic numerals.However, most Javanese numerals has the exact same glyph as several basic letters, for example the numeral 1 ꧑ andwyanjanaletter ga ꦒ, or the numeral 8 ꧘ andmurdaletter pa ꦦ. To avoid confusion, numerals that are used in the middle of sentences must be surrounded bypada pangkat⟨꧇ ꧇⟩orpada lingsa⟨꧈ ꧈⟩.For example,tanggal 17 Juni( "the date 17 June" ) is written
ꦠꦁꦒꦭ꧀꧇꧑꧗꧇ꦗꦸꦤꦶ
or
ꦠꦁꦒꦭ꧀꧈꧑꧗꧈ꦗꦸꦤꦶ.

Angka

0 ꧐

1 ꧑

2 ꧒

3 ꧓

4 ꧔

5 ꧕

6 ꧖

7 ꧗

8 ꧘

9 ꧙

Punctuation

Traditional Javanese texts are written with no spaces between words (scriptio continua) with several punctuation marks calledpada(ꦥꦢ).

Common punctuation

꧈ lingsa

꧉ lungsi

꧊ adeg

꧋ adeg-adeg

꧌...꧍ pisélèh

꧁...꧂ rerenggan

꧇ pangkat

ꧏ rangkap

In contemporary teaching, the most frequently used punctuations arepada adeg-adeg,pada lingsa,andpada lungsi,which are used to open paragraphs (similar topillcrows), separating sentences (similar tocommas), and ending sentences (similar tofull stops).Pada adegandpada pisélèhmay be used to indicate insertion in the middle of sentences similar toparenthesesorquotation marks,whilepada pangkathas a similar function to thecolon.Pada rangkapis sometimes used as aniteration markfor reduplicated words (for examplekata-kataꦏꦠꦏꦠ →kata2ꦏꦠꧏ)

Several punctuation marks do not have Latin equivalents and are often decorative in nature with numerous variant shapes, for example thererengganwhich is sometimes used to enclose titles. In epistolary usage, several punctuations are used in the beginning of letters and may also be used to indicate the social status of the letter writer; from the lowestpada andhap,to middlepada madya,and the highestpada luhur.Pada guruis sometimes used as a neutral option without social connotation, whilepada pancakis used to end a letter. However this is a generalized function. In practice, similar torerengganthese epistolary punctuation marks are often decorative and optional with various shape used in different regions and by different scribes.

Epistolary marks

꧃ andhap

꧄ madya

꧅ luhur

꧋꧆꧋ guru

꧉꧆꧉ pancak

When errors occurred during manuscript copying, several Kraton scribes used special correction marks instead of crossing out the erroneous parts:tirta tumétèsnormally found inYogyakartamanuscripts, andi sắc n-i sắc nfound inSurakartamanuscripts. These correction marks are directly applied following the erroneous part before the scribe continued writing. For example, if a scribe wanted to writepada luhurꦥꦢꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ but accidentally wrotepada huꦥꦢꦲꦸ before realizing the mistake, this word may be corrected intopada hu···luhurꦥꦢꦲꦸ꧞꧞꧞ꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ or ꦥꦢꦲꦸ꧟꧟꧟ꦭꦸꦲꦸꦂ.

Correction marks

꧞꧞꧞ tirta tumétès

꧟꧟꧟ i sắc n-i sắc n

Pepadan

Other than the regular punctuation, one of Javanese texts' distinctive characteristics ispepadan(ꦥꦼꦥꦢꦤ꧀), a series of highly ornate verse marks.

The series of punctuation marks that formspepadanhave numerous names in traditional texts. Behrend (1996) dividespepadaninto two general groups: the minorpadawhich consist of a single mark, and the majorpadawhich are composed of several marks. Minorpadaare used to indicate divisions of poetic stanzas, which usually appear every 32 or 48 syllables depending on the poetic metre. Majorpadaare 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.Javanese guides often list three kinds of majorpada:purwa pada꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅which is used in the beginning of the first canto,madya pada꧅ ꦟ꧀ꦢꦿ ꧅which is used in between different cantos, andwasana pada꧅ ꦆ ꧅which is used in the end of the final canto.But due to the large variety of shapes between manuscripts, these three punctuations are essentially treated as a single punctuation in most Javanese manuscripts.

Pepadanis one of the most prominent elements in a typical Javanese manuscript and they almost always highly decorative, incorporating calligraphy, coloring, and even gilding.In luxurious royal manuscripts, the shape of thepepadanmay even contain visual puns that gave clues to the readers regarding the canto of the text; apepadanwith wings or bird figure resembling a crow (calleddhandhangin Javanese) indicates thedhandhanggulametre, whilepepadanwith elements of a goldfish indicates themaskumambangmetre (literally "gold floating on water" ). One of the scribal centers with the most elaborate and ornatepepadanis the scriptorium ofPakualamanin Yogyakarta.

• 
  Pepadan from Serat, minor pada꧅
• 
  Pepadan from Babad Mataram, minor pada꧅
• 
  Pepadan from Serat Jayalengkara, major pada꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅
• 
  Pepadan from serat selarasa, major pada꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅
• 
  File:Pepadan from jatikusuma, major pada꧅ ꦧ꧀ꦖ ꧅

Sample text

Excerpt from theTreatise on Cats(Javanese:ꦱꦼꦫꦠ꧀ꦏꦠꦸꦫꦁꦒꦤ꧀ꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ,romanized:Serat Katuranggan Kucing), printed in 1871 with modern Javanese language and spelling.

Javanese script

꧅ꦭꦩꦸꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦫꦔꦶꦔꦸꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ꧈ ꦲꦮꦏ꧀ꦏꦺꦲꦶꦉꦁꦱꦢꦪ꧈ ꦭꦩ꧀ꦧꦸꦁꦏꦶꦮꦠꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦺꦴꦁꦥꦸꦠꦶꦃ꧈ ꦊꦏ꧀ꦱꦤꦤ꧀ꦤꦶꦫꦥꦿꦪꦺꦴꦒ꧈ ꦲꦫꦤ꧀ꦮꦸꦭꦤ꧀ꦏꦿꦲꦶꦤꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦠꦶꦤꦼꦏꦤꦤ꧀ꦱꦱꦼꦢꦾꦤ꧀ꦤꦶꦥꦸꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦪꦺꦤ꧀ꦧꦸꦟ꧀ꦝꦼꦭ꧀ꦭꦁꦏꦸꦁꦲꦸꦠꦩ꧈
꧅ꦲꦗꦱꦶꦫꦔꦶꦔꦸꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ꧈ ꦭꦸꦫꦶꦏ꧀ꦲꦶꦉꦁꦧꦸꦤ꧀ꦠꦸꦠ꧀ꦥꦚ꧀ꦗꦁ꧈ ꦥꦸꦤꦶꦏꦲꦮꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦭꦩꦠ꧀ꦠꦺ꧈ ꦱꦼꦏꦼꦭꦤ꧀ꦱꦿꦶꦁꦠꦸꦏꦂꦫꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦲꦫꦤ꧀ꦝꦣꦁꦱꦸꦁꦏꦮ꧈ ꦥꦤ꧀ꦲꦢꦺꦴꦃꦫꦶꦗꦼꦏꦶꦤꦶꦥꦸꦤ꧀‍꧈ ꦪꦺꦤ꧀ꦧꦸꦟ꧀ꦝꦼꦭ꧀ꦤꦺꦴꦫꦔꦥꦲ꧈

Romanized

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.
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.

English

A completely black cat with a white patch on its left belly is calledHarvest Moon.It is a cat that brings good fortune and the fulfilment of all wishes. It is better if it is bobtailed.
A dark striped cat with a long tail should not be kept as a pet. Such a cat is calledMourning Crow.You would encounter frequent arguments and limited wealth. But if it is bobtailed, then there is no problem.

Comparison with Balinese

The closest relative to Javanese script is theBalinese script.As direct descendants of Kawi script, Javanese and Balinese still retain many similarities in terms of basic glyph shape for each letter. One noticeable difference between both scripts is in their orthography: modern Balinese orthography is more conservative in nature than its modern Javanese counterpart.

• Modern Balinese retains Sanskrit and Kawi conventions that are no longer used in modern Javanese. For example, the worddésa(village) is written in Javanese asꦢꦺꦱ.In Balinese, as a Sanskrit loanword, it retains its original spelling:déśaᬤᬾᬰ.One reason for this spelling practice is to differentiatehomophonesin writing.
• Javanese spelling usesaksara murda,or honorific letters, while Balinese does not.

Some Javanese letters and their Balinese equivalents

ha ꦲ	na ꦤ	ca ꦕ	ra ꦫ	ka ꦏ	a ꦄ	ā ꦄ	i ꦆ	ī ꦇ	u ꦈ	ū ꦈꦴ
ᬳ	ᬦ	ᬘ	ᬭ	ᬓ	ᬅ	ᬆ	ᬇ	ᬈ	ᬉ	ᬊ

Usage in other languages

Sundanese

Cacarakan (Sundanese:ꦕꦫꦏ,ᮎᮎᮛᮊᮔ᮪,romanized:cacarakan,lit. 'similar to carakan'), a version of Javanese script tailored to theSundanese language,was officially used from the 16th to 20th centuries. Today, there are still several places which usecacarakan.Sundanese spelling has several differences from Javanese.

• The Sundanese includes the vowel [ɨ]eu,which does not exist in Javanese. It is written as ꦼꦴ or ◌ꦼꦵ.
• A word-initial vowel in Sundanese is usually written with one of the independent vowel letters (Sundanese:aksara sora) instead of by adding diacritics to⟨ꦲ⟩.For example,ais written as⟨ꦄ⟩Sundanese, instead of ꦲ in as in Javanese. It is possible to write word-initial [i] as either⟨ꦄꦶ⟩or⟨ꦆ⟩,as in Javanese.
• The consonant [ɲ]nyis written as⟨ꦤꦾ⟩(i.e.ꦤ + ꦾ) rather than⟨ꦚ⟩.
• Sundanese does not use the letters⟨ꦞ,ḍha⟩or⟨ꦛ,tha⟩as Sundanese does not distinguish betweenḍaandḍhaor betweentaandtha.

In Sundanese, the letter /i/ is written with a series of letters with added diacritics. In Javanese, no special vowels are used for the sound /e/, while in Sundanese, an independent /e/ is written as a⟨ꦄ⟩plus apepetdiacritic⟨ꦄꦼ⟩.An independent /ɨ/ is written the same way, with an additionaltarung⟨ꦄꦼꦴꦵ⟩or⟨ꦄꦼꦵ⟩.

Madurese

Carakan Madhurâ,'Maduran carakan' orcarakan Jhâbân,'script from Javanese' is very similar to Javanesehanacakara.However, in the Madurese language, there is no difference in the use of aspirated and unaspirated consonants.In Javanese, every consonant carries an inherent /a/ or /ɔ/ vowel; in Madurese, the inherent vowel is /a/ or /ɤ/. Another difference is the use of thewignyandiacritic⟨ꦃ⟩,which in Javanese functions as an-hfinal consonant, but in Madurese represents a glottal stop.

Unicode

Main article:Javanese (Unicode block)

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

The Unicode block for Javanese is U+A980–U+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)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

U+A98x

ꦀ

ꦁ

ꦂ

ꦃ

ꦄ

ꦅ

ꦆ

ꦇ

ꦈ

ꦉ

ꦊ

ꦋ

ꦌ

ꦍ

ꦎ

ꦏ

U+A99x

ꦐ

ꦑ

ꦒ

ꦓ

ꦔ

ꦕ

ꦖ

ꦗ

ꦘ

ꦙ

ꦚ

ꦛ

ꦜ

ꦝ

ꦞ

ꦟ

U+A9Ax

ꦠ

ꦡ

ꦢ

ꦣ

ꦤ

ꦥ

ꦦ

ꦧ

ꦨ

ꦩ

ꦪ

ꦫ

ꦬ

ꦭ

ꦮ

ꦯ

U+A9Bx

ꦰ

ꦱ

ꦲ

꦳

ꦴ

ꦵ

ꦶ

ꦷ

ꦸ

ꦹ

ꦺ

ꦻ

ꦼ

ꦽ

ꦾ

ꦿ

U+A9Cx

꧀

꧁

꧂

꧃

꧄

꧅

꧆

꧇

꧈

꧉

꧊

꧋

꧌

꧍

ꧏ

U+A9Dx

꧐

꧑

꧒

꧓

꧔

꧕

꧖

꧗

꧘

꧙

꧞

꧟

Notes 1.^As of Unicode version 16.0 2.^Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Gallery

• 
  A stone inscription from around 18th century in the Kyai Tumenggung Pusponegoro grave complex,Gresik
• 
  A page fromSerat Jaya Lengkara Wulangcopied in 1803, British Library collection
• 
  A page fromSerat Damar Wulancopied in 1804, British Library collection
• 
  Five Gulden/Rupiahscripissued byDutch East Indiesin 1846, value spelled in Latin,Pégon,and Javanese script
• 
  Bromartani newspaper, the first newspaper printed in Javanese language and script, circulating between 1855 and 1856
• 
  Title page of a book commemorating the ascension ofQueen Wilhelmina,printed inSemarangin 1898
• 
  A page fromSerat Bratayudha(an episode ofMahabharata) copied in 1902, Widya Budaya collection
• 
  Opening pages ofSerat Damar Wulancopied around the 18th century, British Library collection
• 
  An advertisement for Droste's Cacao
• 
  An advertisement forOsramlight bulb
• 
  5 Gulden paper currency issued by theBank of Javain 1937, with multilingual forgery warnings, including one in Javanese language and script
• 
  Pakubuwana Xinscription commemorating the construction of several gateways inSurakartain 1938
• 
  A patrol car used by the Public Health Service (Dienst der Volksgezondheid)c. 1925
• 
  100 Gulden paper currency issued by the Bank of Java in 1946, the last Gulden series that contains Javanese script. Later reprinted in 1950
• 
  A street sign in Surakarta. The wordjendralin the sign has been misspelled and should have usedtalingin accordance to how it is pronounced in Javanese,jèndral
• 
  Contemporary merchandise with design elements containing Javanese script
• 
  TheYogyakarta Sultanatecoat of arms with the Hamengkubuwanaroyal monogramin Javanese script

See also

• Javanese language
• Javanese literature
• Tuladha Jejeg

References

Bibliography

• Arps, B (1999)."How a Javanese Gentleman put his Library in Order".Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde.155(3): 416–469.doi:10.1163/22134379-90003871.hdl:1887/15216.
• Behrend, T E (1993)."Manuscript Production in Nineteenth Century Java. Codicology and the Writing of Javanese Literary History".Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde.149(3): 407–437.doi:10.1163/22134379-90003115.
• Behrend, T E (1996). "Textual Gateways: the Javanese Manuscript Tradition". In Ann Kumar; John H. McGlynn (eds.).Illuminations: The Writing Traditions of Indonesia.Jakarta: Lontar Foundation.ISBN0834803496.
• Everson, Michael (6 March 2008)."Proposal for encoding the Javanese script in the UCS"(PDF).Iso/Iec Jtc1/Sc2/Wg2(N3319R3). Unicode. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 September 2021.Retrieved5 November2013.
• Kiliaan, H. N. (1897).Madoereesche Spraakkunst(in Dutch). Batavia: Landsdrukkerij.
• Molen, Willem van der (1993).Javaans Schrift(in Dutch). Vol. Semaian 8. Leiden: Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden.ISBN90-73084-09-1.{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help)
• Molen, Willem van der (2000). "Hoe Heft Zulks Kunnen Geschieden? Het Begin van de Javaanse Typografie". In Willem van der Molen (ed.).Woord en Schrift in de Oost. De betekenis van zending en missie voor de studie van taal en literatuur in Zuidoost-Azie(in Dutch). Vol. Semaian 19. Leiden: Vakgroep Talen en Culturen van Zuidoost-Azië en Oceanië, Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden. pp. 132–162.ISBN9074956238.
• Moriyama, Mikihiro (June 1996)."Discovering the 'Language' and the 'Literature' of West Java: An Introduction to the Formation of Sundanese Writing in 19th Century West Java"(PDF).Southeast Asian Studies.34(1): 151–183.
• Robson, Stuart Owen (2011)."Javanese script as cultural artifact: Historical background".RIMA: Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs.45(1–2): 9–36.
• Rochkyatmo, Amir (1 January 1996).Pelestarian dan Modernisasi Aksara Daerah: Perkembangan Metode dan Teknis Menulis Aksara Jawa(PDF)(in Indonesian). Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan.

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 asWewaton SriwedariandPaugeran 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.ISBN979-8628-00-4.

Sanskrit and Kawi

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

Sundanese

• Holle, K F (1862).Soendasch spel- en lees boek, met Soendasche letter.Batavia: Lands-drukkerij.

External links

Digital collection

• British Library manuscript collectionArchived9 January 2022 at theWayback Machine
• National Library of Indonesia manuscript collection
• Yayasan Sastra Lestari manuscript collection
• Widyapustaka references collectionArchived14 December 2021 at theWayback Machine

Digitized manuscripts

• A debt written on a piece of lontar(1708) British Library collection no. Sloane MS 1403E
• Babad MataramandBabad ing Sangkala(1738) koleksi British Library no. MSS Jav 36
• A Malay-Javanese-Maduran language word listfrom early 19th century, British Library collection no. MSS Malay A 3
• An assortment of documents from the Kraton of Yogyakarta(1786–1812) British Library collection no. Add Ms 12341
• Papakem Pawukonfrom Bupati Sepuh Demak of Bogor (1814) British Library collection no. Or 15932
• Wejangan Hamengkubuwana I(1812) British Library collection no. Add MS 12337
• Raffles Paper- vol III(1816) a collection of Letters received byRafflesfrom the rules of the Malay archipelago, British Library collection no. Add MS 45273
• Serat Jaya Lengkara Wulang(1803) British Library collection no. MSS Jav 24
• Serat Selarasa(1804) British Library collection no. MSS Jav 28
• Usana BaliArchived19 June 2020 at theWayback Machine(1870) a Javanese copy of a Balinese lontar of the same title, National Library of Indonesia collection no. CS 152
• Dongèng-dongèng Pieuntengen(1867) a collection of Sundanese tales written in Javanese script compiled byMuhammad Musa

Others

• Unicode proposal for Javanese scriptArchived16 September 2021 at theWayback Machine
• Unicode documentation for the behavior of KERET diacriticArchived16 September 2021 at theWayback Machine
• Unicode documentation for the behavior of CAKRA diacritic
• Unicode documentation for the behavior of PENGKAL diacritic
• Unicode documentation for the behavior of TOLONG diacritic
• British Library Asian-African Studies blog, Javanese topic
• Javanese script transliterator by Benny Lin
• Hana - Javanese Script Transliterator by Dan
• Download Javanese fonts inTuladha JejegArchived27 October 2021 at theWayback Machine,Aksara di Nusantara,orGoogle Noto