Baybayin Modern Fonts [Anak Bathala Project]

Unicode Converter Update

2011-09-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Now it is even easier to type in Baybayin Unicode and copy/paste it to Facebook!
Non-baybayin-reading folks can now translate what others wrote in Baybayin Unicode!

Use the Baybayin Unicode Converter today! :)

ᜇᜓᜋᜍᜋᜒ ᜈ ᜀᜅ᜴ ᜄᜓᜋᜄᜋᜒᜆ᜴ ᜅ᜔ ᜊᜌ᜴ᜊᜌᜒᜈ᜴ ᜐ ᜉᜒᜌ᜔ᜐ᜴ᜊᜓᜃ᜴᜶ ᜇᜑᜒᜎ᜴ ᜇᜒᜆᜓ᜵ ᜇᜓᜋᜍᜋᜒ ᜈ ᜍᜒᜈ᜴ ᜀᜅ᜴ ᜎᜓᜋᜎᜉᜒᜆ᜴ ᜐ ᜀᜃᜒᜈ᜴ ᜈ ᜀᜅ᜴ ᜑᜒᜎᜒᜅ᜴ ᜀᜌ᜴ ᜀᜌᜓᜐᜒᜈ᜴ ᜃᜓ ᜇᜏ᜴ ᜁᜆᜓᜅ᜴ ᜀᜉ᜴ᜎᜒᜃᜐ᜴ᜌᜓᜈ᜴ ᜈ ᜁᜆᜓ ᜉᜍ ᜁᜆᜓᜌ᜔ ᜋᜀᜀᜍᜒᜅ᜴ ᜋᜃᜊᜐ ᜇᜒᜈ᜴ ᜅ᜔ ᜂᜈᜒᜃᜓᜇ᜴᜶

The Baybayin Unicode Converter (Typepad) has been updated:

If you see boxes above instead of Baybayin characters - Download the updated Baybayin Modern Font (BMF) Unicode Mono - Updated: Sept. 10, 2011
If you have downloaded this font before this update, please re-download & update your .ttf file.
The font's glyphs have been updated for better legibility, strokes adjusted and the x virama made larger.
It can now convert Baybayin Unicode into text. To convert Baybayin Unicode to text, select the "READ Baybayin Unicode" tool option on the drop-down menu, copy then paste the characters you wish to convert onto the text area, then click the "conv" (convert) button.
There are two new typing modes; the x Mode automatically types a virama below each character making them stand alone consonants, while the a Mode types syllable characters with the default 'a' vowel sound. Depending on which mode you use, typing vowels or kudlit marks after each character alters the default 'a' or cancels an auto-typed virama.
There is a ·· check-box that allows double kudlit marks which repeats a same-vowel syllable. It is automatically unchecked after each double kudlit is typed.
A new "copy" (to clipboard) button is added to the "TYPE Baybayin Unicode" tool option to make it quick & easy to do so, it automatically highlights and copies everything you typed.
The Surat Mangyan pamudpod mark Unicode range is made accessible so you can use it if you chose to follow the following proposed modern virama rules:

x = virama [Spanish cross kudlit (+)]: rendered by the = equal and + plus keys, it cancels vowels, preferably for leading or stand-alone consonant sounds;
ex. ᜊ᜔ᜍᜓ bro | ᜅ᜔ ng
/ = pamudpod (Mangyan's virama): rendered by the / forward-slash key, it cancels vowels, preferably for trailing or dead-consonat sounds;
ex. ᜊᜍ᜴ bar | ᜈᜅ᜴ nang

Enjoy! :)

Kulitan Angulo Typepad

2011-08-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

One of the main difference of Súlat Kapampangan from Baybayin is its vertical direction which the current Kulitan Script practitioners consider as the standard. The other unique feature is stacking characters and syllable grouping (instead of sequential characters in a word grouping). While beautiful in handwritten executions, it poses a few problems for modern typographers and font designers; just like the hurdles other developers face when designing Asiatic fonts. It requires a bit of advanced technical know-how and some special programs/apps to pull off. A level of difficulty that I have yet to master. And so, I experiment...

I am currently developing/designing the Kulitan Angulo Font used for the typepad above. The font is a horizontaly typed font with glyphs/characters tilted on its side, 90° counterclockwise. The typepad above is specially programed to automatically tilt or "change the angle" (hence the font name "Angulo") of the typing area so you can view (and be able to continue to type) in the traditional vertical manner intended for the script.

For Word-processing:

One can use the font in a word-processing program like Microsoft Word without any special setup; just type horizontally then after you print the document, all you have to do is turn the printed material 90° clockwise and the composition is vertically oriented as is normal with Kulitan.

However, you can also use the font to type vertically in Microsoft Word by using a table with a simple & easy setup:

Insert a single-cell borderless table and re-size it as close to the margins of the page as possible.
(in Word 2003 or earlier) Select the table, click Format on the top menu. Click "Text Direction" and choose the direction you want (Vertical).
(in Word 2007 or later), click the Table Tools, Layout tab, and click the Text Direction button in the Alignment group.

Keystrokes:

Check the Keystroke & Character Chart (.pdf) for more info on how to type stacked characters.

Caveats:

Problems arise when the syllable stacks/ligatures require more than two major characters. The only work-around right now is to use another line above the stack to add a third major character.
Constant shift-key usage because of alternating upper & lowercase keyboard characters to stack glyphs takes a lot of getting used to.
The Nga character needed to be re-assigned to the unused H and h keys because the Na character needs both N and n keys for the upper & lower stacks. I was told that there's a joke about Kapampangan typewriters and the H keys, but I assure you that I was completely oblivious about that when I assigned the glyph to the key.
Double spacing is required to optimally separate columns and rows of syllable groups as required by Súlat Kapampangan.

The lyrics to the Kapampangan folk-song "Atin Cu Pung Singsing" below shows how it is typed using the Kulitan Angulo Font:

You have to judge whether or not typing horizontally in this manner is better than setting up tables to be able to type vertically using the previous (and first Kapampangan Script) font I released earlier this month: Baybayin Kapampangan

Please review my previous blog entry about Súlat Kapampangan: Galit sa kulit - it explains some of the details about the Kapampangan method of writing.

Don't forget to visit Michael Pangilinan's siuala.com

UPDATE: Kulitan Typepad version 2.5

Kulitan Angulo Font updated to incorporate an experimental "quarter stacking" or "square stack" syllables to render leading & trailing compound consonants of non-Kapampangan words.
Introducing a modern character RA for borrowed words. Basically an embellished DA, adding the bottom stroke of LA - similar to the modern Baybayin RA (ᜍ).
Check the Keystroke & Character Chart (.pdf) for info on how to type stacked characters.

UPDATE: Kulitan Typepad version 2.0

Added a button to take an image capture of your composition and save it to your computer - so you can upload it and share it on Facebook if you want others to check your work.
Added a positional slider when in vertical mode to slide the column to the center when taking a, image capture.

...

Mangyan Postma Font

2011-08-12T03:47:00.000-07:00

Mr. Antoon Vreeze Postma is a Dutch anthropologist and linguist who has married into and has been living for more than fifty years among the Hanunuo Mangyan tribe in Mindoro, Philippines. He is best known for being the first to decipher the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, and for documenting the Hanunóo script, paving the way for its preservation. He is the founder of the Mangyan Research Center in Panaytayan, Mansalay, Mr. Postma is in charge of the (MHC) Mangyan Heritage Center's research operations. His collection forms the bulk of the materials in the MHC library.

I visited the MHC in my home town of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, last year (August 2010). I purchased several of Postma's books and watched how they still use handwriting to record and catalog Ambahan poetry and other learning materials. I showed Mrs. Emily Lorenzo Catapang (Executive Director of MHC) how to instal and use Mangyan fonts on their computers so that they can have a modern alternative way of publishing materials. I promised to continue developing and perfecting fonts for Surat Mangyan for the very purpose of propagating and preserving the written cultural heritage of the Mangyan.

This new font was inspired by Postma's works. Baybayin Mangyan Postma Type has bold and uniform strokes best suited for posters and other print. This font is based on one of Postma's book cover art.

New Mangyan Font:

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Postma-Font-252407086
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Mangyan Fonts from 2010:

Download this new font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Brush-Font-169880405

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Font-149145096

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Baybayin Kapampangan

2011-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Súlat Kapampangan (a.k.a. pámagkulit or kulitan) is used for writing the Kapampangan language spoken by folks from the Pampanga province in the Philippines. Kapampangan is one of the major languages of the Philippines.

Kulitan differs slightly from Baybayin as it has been adapted solely for Kapampangan orthography. A different method of writing a combination of garlit (kudlit) diacritic marks with character ligatures & stacking is developed. Much of the character shapes originally were the same as Baybayin but through limited but continued use, Kulitan handwriting evolved to match a vertical direction of writing popularized by Kapampangan practitioners, scholars, artists, and academics.

Please review my previous blog entry about Súlat Kapampangan: Galit sa kulit - it explains some of the details about the Kapampangan method of writing.

NOW AVAILABLE! A NEW KAPAMPANGAN FONT! ~

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Pamagkulit-Font-246309064

Watch this video tutorial on "How to type Kapampangan script (Kulitan) vertically in Microsoft Word using the Pamagkulit Font inside a table." Please watch it in Full Screen Mode to see the details:

NOTE: Tagalog, Mangyan Hanunóo, Magyan Buhid, and Tagbanua have assigned Unicode blocks or ranges; Kapampangan does not have any assigned to it.

Unique Code

2011-07-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

A request was asked of me to separate the Unicode compliant set of my fonts from the keyboard accessible parts; creating two files in one package so that people can pick/choose which Unicode typeface/font style they want to use for browsing. This is a great idea because when you have several of my fonts or Paul Morrow's fonts in your PC, the unicode sets tend to overlap each other in web browsers. And browsers are weird, I don't know how it picks & chooses the 'winner' because I've tried many different setting combinations in different browsers and resulted in different fonts being picked. I've been experimenting with settings within the font files themselves as well with no luck.

That is why I tend to keep only one font file in my "C:\WINDOWS\Fonts" folder to solve the clashing issue; I keep the other font files in my shared Adobe fonts folder - since I only use Baybayin fonts for Adobe apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, etc. Whenever I need to use a font for word processing, that's when I install the font in my windows/font folder; removing it after I already printed my document or embedded the font in .pdf file. ...quite a cumbersome system, I know, it can't work for everybody.

The problem is that it will take a lot of time & work and I am lazy bastard. But I really do love the idea and I promise that I will implement it. ...sometime in the future. :P

Horrified with Modified

2011-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

As I release western style baybayin fonts, I begin to wonder about how the community will receive them.

Over the years, I received numerous emails and private messages regarding my fonts and my efforts in standardizing the script for typography, uniformity of stokes, ease of legibility, ease of access, and synchronization with modern Filipino orthography. A lot of these correspondences are positive and very encouraging. However there a a few that are not. It seems that I have not made my intentions clear. People sometimes see the adjective "modern" in the name of my fonts and they immediately think "modified" which some view with the same disdain they feel when they think that something is a product of "colonial mentality".

Modern ≠ Modified

Ra Rah! To tell you the truth, the only glyph I consider "modified" in my fonts is my ᜍ Ra character. But even ᜍ Ra as an alternative character is basically still an embellished "traditional" ᜇ Da. Maybe that's why folks accept it; I'm just pleasantly pleased that it has been well received by many. In that light, my other "alternative" characters are designed in the same fashion; an embellished ᜐ Sa for Za, an embellished ᜁ I for E, and an embellished ᜂ U for O.

Ba Va Boom! Some folks are confused by my other characters which are actually NOT embellished versions of the another (Filipino) phoneme equivalent but are actually true (earlier recorded) representation of the same character; O Ba is the same ᜊ Ba but I assigned the round O Ba to the 'V' key because it more resembles the phoneme matching characters in related family of Indic & South East Asian scripts.

Oye Pa Fa! The traditional F-shaped ᜉ Pa is still the same as the old Kapampangan closed-loop P-shaped Pa so I assigned the F-shaped one to the 'F' key and the P-shaped one to the 'P' key [shape-wise it makes sense to me] - however, the old closed-loop Ya is very much similar to the old closed-loop Pa, so I chose to include & assign a current but still traditional loop-less ᜌ Ya to the 'Y' key.

e, ang kulit o! People fail to see that even if I propose and include these alternatives, they are available to them only if they wish to use them. If you like the style of a font and want to write in the old traditional way - you can do so. It's there for you, it's free, it's easy! Just because I included the hollow ○ kudlit mark for mid vowels e and o doesn't mean you have to use them or even disregard the whole font just because you think that the solid ● kudlit mark is the proper mark (I'll get to you 'mix & dash' supporters later). Same goes to the virama and pamudpod (vowel cancellation marks), I included them because they are culturally & historically relevant. Just because they are introduced by foreigners doesn't mean that they are linguistically wrong. Virama and pamudpod marks are valid methods of vowel cancellation used by baybayin's parent Indic & relative Malay/Austronesian scripts. The virama method is very old but still very effective. Heck, it was introduced to baybayin by the Spanish scholars for the very same reason I saw it fit for use - to adapt with changing times.

Adobo at pandesal... More than 300 years of Hispanic and western influence has infused and change our culture and language. Good or bad, these influences have become uniquely and traditionally ours. The krus kudlit (cross-shaped virama) was introduced in the 16th century to adapt baybayin script to Spanish orthography, and despite the native population's adamant reluctance to use it for everyday writing, they conceded to use it when writing Spanish words. After several centuries, like adobo & pandesal, our language & culture adapted and changed, but baybayin never did. Could the early practitioner's staunch tradition and resistance to change have contributed to baybayin's disuse? The krus kudlit is as old as the introduction of the word adobo and the bread pandesal to Filipinos and while the food stuff became "traditional" Filipino fare, the cross-shaped mark became a hated symbol of Spanish oppression - a funny thing coming from a country of devout Catholics.

pud! galoryus pud! What's fresh and what's cooking? Being from Mindoro Island, the home of the Mangyan tribes, I have been interested with the pamudpod; their version of a virama. The pamudpod mark and a Ra character were introduced several decades ago by Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma, who has married into and lives among the Hanunóo, a Mangyan sub-tribe in Mindoro, Philippines. What interests me is how readily the Mangyan accepted and implimented this marks & method of canceling inherent vowels. As you can see from the photo-collage above from my visit to Mindoro last year (2010), it is now commonly used everyday by the tribes. All Mangyan books, souvenir nicknacks, shirts, handicrafts and artifacts I encountered back home bears the newly introduced mark & character. This is especially true when a Mangyan language composition is mixed with Tagalog, and foreign words. This is another reason why I included a Ra and pamudpod mark in my fonts.

BOTTOM LINE:

Just because my fonts have the adjective 'modern' attached to its name and the characters have been stylized, it doesn't mean that they can not be used in the traditional way of baybayin. Each character in all my fonts retain the traditional character form & shapes.

I also can't stress enough that you learn both the traditional method & Spanish "reformed" method of writing baybayin and educate yourself about Filipino languages and orthography.

Paul Morrow's site is the best place to start: Sarisari etc.

← And don't forget to check out the other links listed on the sidebar of this blog.

Ganado

2011-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Download this font from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Modern-Gana-Font-225516266

I finally finished uploading all updated Baybayin Modern Fonts this month and released several new fonts along with the it.

For a list of all the fonts, click here: "FONT DOWNLOAD PAGE"

Included in all my fonts are alternative glyphs/characters that you can use if you prefer to.

ᜍ = ra: may be the only character modification I introduce. Its shape is carefully designed and based on D, P, R letter shapes and ᜇᜎᜉᜁ character shapes, strokes & qualities as well as the Bikolano, Mangyan, other Malay, and other Asian ra characters.
x = virama [Spanish cross kudlit (+)]: rendered by the = equal and + plus keys, it cancels vowels, preferably for leading or stand-alone consonant sounds;
ex. ᜊ᜔ᜍᜓ bro | ᜅ᜔ ng
/ = pamudpod (Mangyan's virama): rendered by the / forward-slash key, it cancels vowels, preferably for trailing or dead-consonat sounds;
ex. ᜊᜍ/ bar | ᜈᜅ/ nang
● = solid kudlit marks can be used as traditional kudlits, I use them for high vowels i and u kudlit.
o = hollow kudlit marks are alternatives that I use for the mid vowels e and o.

The other alternate characters (not modified, just a different style of the same type/character):

O = ᜊ can still be pronounced as ba but can be used to signify va.
vz = ᜐ can still be pronounced as sa but can be used to signify za.
I and U characters has more complex strokes than E and O but are essentially still the same I/E and O/U characters.
Uppercase Q renders the character combination ᜃ᜔ᜏ k'wa.
Lowercase q renders the character combination ᜃᜓᜏ kuwa.
Uppercase J renders the character combination ᜇ᜔ᜌ d'ya.
Lowercase j renders the character combination ᜇᜒᜌ diya.
Both X and x renders the character combination ᜃ᜔ᜐ k'sa. eg. ᜁᜃ᜔ᜐᜋ/ = exam
Some font sets have ᜆ᜔ᜐ t'sa or cha assigned to uppercase C.
Updated in all fonts, the A character ᜀ can now only be accessed by the uppercase A like the other vowel characters I, E, O, and U.
You can use ᜉ fa as the traditional pa.
My fonts use an old loop-ended version of pa that some of you may mistake as the old loop-ended ya. You may substitute them if you're looking for a traditional look.
My ᜌ ya is a more modern open ended (non-loop-ended) glyph.

The updates reassigned several glyphs to different keys, standardized & cleaned several character strokes, and fixed compatibility clashing issues.

They grow like weeds...

2010-10-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

Download this font from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Modern-Damo-Font-184637586

Hiram-gana

2010-10-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Download this font from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Modern-Kana-Font-184288362

I've been contacted by many folks requesting a Japanese style Baybayin font. Here's one inspired by the Japanese syllabary hiragana & katakana. A couple more Asiatic styled fonts are in the works that I plan to release along with other fonts, some updated (fixed) old ones and a whole batch of new ones, hopefully soon.

New Surat Mangyan Brush Font

2010-07-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

New Mangyan Font:

Download this new font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Brush-Font-169880405

Updated Mangyan Font:

Download the updated file from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Font-149145096

Font updated to v.1.50

Unicode ranges transferred from Tagalog to Hanunóo
Finished welding and verifying all glyphs
Various cleanup and re-alignments

A Brush with Fate (Baybayin Sighting)

During my quick and short visit to my home province of Mindoro last year (May, 2009), I spotted this poster on a wall inside a restaurant in Calapan City.

I don't know who the artist was but I am quite intrigued with his/her use of Hanunoo script. I am not sure if this poster actually is written in the Mangyan language; I can read the script alright, but it only seem like gibberish to me. It does not seem to be written in Tagalog and I don't understand Mangyan so I can't truly be sure what it says.

Anyway, it's been a year since and I am going back to the Philippines this July 9, 2010 and will be staying until Aug. 28, 2010. I plan to visit the Mangyan Heritage Center in Calapan City sometime during my stay there. Maybe I can ask someone over there to translate this poster to me.

Anyway, this poster is one of the inspirations for the new brush-style font. I was also looking at other examples of Hanunóo handwriting (not carving).

What's new?
Like the previous Hanunóo font, I included the pamudpod as well as the cross kudlit or virama. To access the pamudpod use the equal key ( = ) and to access the virama use the plus key ( + ).

There is a new kudlit system?
The Nordenx fonts are created so that a standard western keyboard can easily access the baybayin characters. However, please note that the Mangyan script have different kudlit positions depending on what character is used. These different kudlit positions can be accessed by typing the keys for e, i, o, u, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (see sample image in the download page). Using these keys, you can easily and accurately position your kudlits to write the proper Mangyan syllables. To render kudlit in the classical baybayin i/e & o/u locations, just use the i an o keys respectively.

Hanunóo script is used in writing ambāhan - I think it's time to learn how to write these epic poems.

Baybayin Unicode Converter

2010-06-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

So you saw your Filipino friends using Baybayin (a.k.a. Alibata to the uninformed) characters on Facebook and you wondered how they do that, right? Well, if you're not that tech savvy - here is the secret: it's called Unicode.

This typepad application converts typed text to the Baybayin Unicode character equivalent and vice versa.

If the application below doesn't load, try this link: Baybayin Unicode Converter Typepad Page

BMF UNICODE MONO FONT IS REQUIRED BY THIS APPLICATION TO DISPLAY THE GLYPHS CORRECTLY:

Download the Baybayin Modern Font (BMF) Unicode Mono - Updated: Sept. 10, 2011

TIPS & USES:

To type Baybayin Unicode, select the "TYPE Baybayin Unicode" option from the drop-down menu on the top-left of the app.
There are 2 Typing modes; the x Mode automatically types a virama below each character making them stand alone consonants, while the a Mode types syllable characters with the default 'a' vowel sound. Depending on which mode you use, typing vowels or kudlit marks after each character alters the default 'a' or cancels an auto-typed virama.
The ·· check-box allows double kudlit marks that repeats a same-vowel syllable. It is automatically unchecked after each double kudlit is typed.
After typing in Baybayin Unicode characters, you can highlight your characters and copy (simply click on the ⇩ copy button) then paste & post the glyphs in Facebook or forums or anywhere else on the web for that matter.
Anyone with a web browser that is set up to view UTF8 and have a Unicode compliant font installed in their computer that has Baybayin characters in the appropriate range (Tagalog range: U+1700–U+171F), would be able to see the Baybayin characters you posted.
To configure your browser to view Unicode: http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/mideast/encyclopedia/browsers.html
To convert Baybayin Unicode to text, select the "READ Baybayin Unicode" option on the drop-down menu, copy then paste the characters you wish to convert onto the text area, then click the "conv" button.
You can scroll up or down on the text area using your mouse wheel.
To learn more about how to write in baybayin, please visit this - l ist of pertinent Baybayin links.
Unicode compliant Baybayin Fonts:
Morrow's Fonts - Sarisari etc...
Baybayin Modern Fonts - Download Page

Limitations:

Type using your keyboard at a normal speed, not too quick as network lag can slow down processing and will end up skipping characters.
The app only converts every text character typed the end of the word/sentence, letters inserted in between other characters will not be converted.

Warning! This is not a translator application. Do not rely on this tool for correct spelling and transliteration. This is a free-form learning tool. Unless you're already proficient with Filipino languages and Baybayin script, transcribing is best left to professionals.

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Download Free Modern Baybayin Fonts

2010-06-08T00:44:00.001-07:00

Download Free Baybayin Modern Fonts

PLEASE GO TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE FOR A MORE UPDATED LIST.

Note: even though the style of these fonts are modern, you can still use it to write in the traditional way.

All of Nordenx Baybayin Modern Fonts are for personal and non-commercial use only. Please contact me at nordenx@yahoo.com for any inquiries about commercial use in publications or electronic applications.

To try-out any of these fonts before you download them, use this typepad: Baybayin Fonts Typepad

Previews & Download Locations of available fonts:

Mangyan Fonts:

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Postma-Font-252407086

Download this new font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Brush-Font-169880405

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Mangyan-Hanunoo-Font-149145096

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Kapampangan Fonts:

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Pamagkulit-Font-246309064

Watch this video tutorial on "How to type Kapampangan script (Kulitan) vertically in Microsoft Word using the Pamagkulit Font inside a table." Please watch it in Full Screen Mode to see the details:

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How to install these fonts on your computer:

The fonts are in compressed (.zip files). You will need a utility such as WinZip to uncompress them. Download a free evaluation version of WinZip or WinRar.

Each zip file contains the true type font file (.ttf) and a text file (.rtf) that contains aditional info about the font and its use & features, please read it.

You can extract (uncompress) the font file directly to your C:\WINDOWS\Fonts folder if you want or you can extract it to a temporary folder then follow the font installation instructions can be found at MyFonts.com or from Paul Morrow's Site.

For Windows 7 / Vista users:

Right-click the font file(s) and choose "Install".

For users of the previous Windows versions:

Copy the included file(s) into a default Windows font folder (usually C:\WINDOWS\FONTS or C:\WINNT\FONTS)

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Ukyabít - a new Baybayin card game!

2010-06-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

This is a radical Filipino alphasyllabary card game where you learn to use Baybayin script characters to build simple two to four syllable Tagalog words. Ukyabít is a revolutionary new and fun approach to word puzzle card games and language learning.

You can purchase your own copy of the First Edition Ukyabít here - www.thegamecrafter.com

It's not complicated but don't think it's simple.

First, you have to know the Filipino language and Tagalog syllabary.
Next, you have to learn how use Baybayin script to build two to four syllable Filipino words.
And of course you have to employ some strategy to get those high scores.

Intimidated yet? I hope not. It's challenging but fun to learn with a group of friends and the more you get used to the game, the better and more exciting it becomes. Hopefully, these games that I make for you folks will give you a reason to pick up Baybayin once again

Enjoy!

Baybayin Puzzles

2010-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I found that these two popular word puzzle formats are good teaching tools and learning exercises and would work well with Baybayin. Thus, I will include a bunch of them in my book.

Baybayin Crossed-Scripts Puzzle is a revolutionary new approach to crosswords puzzle solving and language learning. Baybayin Crosswords uses the established crossword puzzle format loved by millions worldwide; however, the clues are given in English whereas the answers must be completed using Filipino words (Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisaya, etc.) written in Baybayin script's syllabic characters. This puzzle challenges the person's language translation, word knowledge, script handwriting, Filipino phonetics and syllabary skills.

Click on the image to view its actual size.

You may print it using your printer and distribute the copies and share the link back to this blog freely. However, you may not use these images for commercial purposes or publications without prior consent.

Baybayin Script Word-Finder is another radically unique modification to the classic word-finder puzzle that dramatically improves Baybayin character recognition and reading comprehension. Baybayin Word-Finder has a similar format from the original version of the simple word-finder game that almost every grade-school child in the world is familiar with; however, instead of forming words by finding their corresponding alphabet letters, you have to formulate words using alphasyllabary. This puzzle challenges the person's Baybayin reading, Filipino phonetics, and syllabary skills.

Click on the image to view its actual size.

You may print it using your printer and distribute the copies and share the link back to this blog freely. However, you may not use these images for commercial purposes or publications without prior consent.

UPDATE: As recent research in typography & design came to light, the glyphs for E & I have been switched in all my fonts. The E & I in these puzzles remain as the old glyph assignment above. They will not be the same in future puzzles.

UPDATE: Solutions to the puzzles above are now available.

Alibata vs Baybayin

2010-05-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

Most of us Baybayin practitioners (online) are familiar with the distinction between the term Baybayin vs Alibata. Yet we still see & hear a lot of new Filipino script enthusiasts using the misnomer; particularly from folks in the Philippines where Alibata is mentioned briefly in Filipino history & language classes. While those who are internet savvy are familiar with Paul Morrow's work and quite particularly this entry from his "Ang Baybayin" site about Paul Versosa's reasoning for the term Alibata:

"In 1921 I returned from the United States to give public lectures on Tagalog philology, calligraphy, and linguistics. I introduced the word alibata, which found its way into newsprints and often mentioned by many authors in their writings. I coined this word in 1914 in the New York Public Library, Manuscript Research Division, basing it on the Maguindanao (Moro) arrangement of letters of the alphabet after the Arabic: alif, ba, ta, “f” having been eliminated for euphony's sake." Versosa

To which Morrow added:

"Versoza's reasoning for creating this word was unfounded because no evidence of the baybayin was ever found in that part of the Philippines and it has absolutely no relationship to the Arabic language. Furthermore, no ancient script native to Southeast Asia followed the Arabic arrangement of letters, and regardless of Versoza's connection to the word alibata, its absence from all historical records indicates that it is a totally modern creation. The present author (Paul Morrow) does not use this word in reference to any ancient Philippine script." Morrow

SOURCE: http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/bayeng1.htm#origin

Yes, Alibata is a misnomer. However, it is already a part of the Filipino vernacular and it would be a challenge to completely dismiss the word. The term Alibata has been used in print and was part of academia during the nationalistic era of the Philippines in the mid to late 1900s.

While the word "baybayin" retained its original meaning "to spell or write", its relation to the script & writing system was almost forgotten. It's not until authors like Paul Morrow, Carl Rubino, Hector Santos, et al.began using it again in the 1990s and with the rise of the Internet culture's easy access to information that the term is brought back and slowly regained popular usage; associating it again with the original Filipino script.

An interesting find and observation; author Paul Versosa and Jose Sevilla, in a 1923 book, used the term "Alibata" not just for the native script but for all forms of writing. He specifically called the Tagalog script "Baybayin" and called the alphabet "Alibatang Romano".

It is quite obvious from the book that Versosa intended to replace the word Alfabeto (Spanish Alphabet) with a more native sounding word. He also acknowledged that the popular terminology used at the time were Baybayin and Abakada. Basically, to Versosa, the word Alibata = Alfabeto = Alphabet = Abakada = Abecedario = Kana, etc. etc. not just particularly referring to Baybayin script.

Verdict?

Alibata means Alphabet.

Alibata does not mean Baybayin Script.

Baybayin Script is not Alibata since it is not an Alphabet.

Baybayin is an Alphasyllabary.

Abugida means Alphasyllabary.

Baybayin is an Abugida.

Yes, Alibata is a made up word, but so is the accepted term Abugida (alphasyllabary) a word that was just coined recently in 1990. Alibata was coined and used in the 1920s and is still in use today; it predates the word Abugida. Therefore it is hard to dismiss Alibata as a legitimate word even though it is a misnomer since it has been established and used for decades (mistakenly exclusively to mean "Baybayin Script", mind you). But being a misnomer it only creates confusion and it is my humble opinion that it is time to retire the word Alibata and leave it as a footnote in Philippine history books.

Sulat Filipino is Baybayin.
Baybayin Script is Sulat Filipino.

Reference Pages:
Sevilla-Versosa Book Cover 1
Sevilla-Versosa Book Cover 2
Sevilla-Versosa Book Page 75
Sevilla-Versosa Book Page 76
Sevilla-Versosa Book Page 77
Sevilla-Versosa Book Page 78
Sevilla-Versosa Book Page 79

LCI's 1110th anniversary

2010-04-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

"April 21st 2010 marked the 1110th anniversary of the oldest known written artifact from the Philippines, the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI). 1110 years ago on this date (April 21st of the year 900 in our era), the original legal document was written that forgave a debt held by a person living in the general area now occupied by metropolitan Manila." ~ Christopher Miller

Learn more about the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
Did you know that the LCI contains enough glyphs and information to formulate an almost complete writing system?

Though a lot of details are still missing, one need only take a look at the parent and related writing systems like Sanskrit and Old Javanese to figure out how rich and complex our ancestor's writing system was prior to the emergence of the more simplistic baybayin script.

A couple of features that stand out from the LCI is that our ancestors used a virama (vowel cancellation mark), the same function as the cross kudlit except that the LCI virama is only used for a final vowel-less trailing consonant. As for a vowel-less leading consonants, the glyphs form syllables by consonant conjuncts or stacked where the initial glyphs' vowel is dropped; quite similar to other Indic/Brahmic scripts.

We can find glyphs for visarga and anusvāra in the LCI.

An anusvāra is a diacritic used to mark a nasalization used in a number of Indic languages. This eliminated the use of a virama on a nga glyph for that final ng sound.

A visarga is a diacritic used to mark a voiceless breath used in a number of Indic languages. Losing this diacritict may explain the lost h vowel in modern Tagalog orthography.

Instead of adding a diacritic on the final vowel of a word with a final stress, note that LCI uses a diacritic for a long "a" or ā on the leading syllable's glyph.

Along with the long ā, the LCI shows us that the ancient islanders have all of the diacritics needed for five vowel sounds plus another for "ai" and a simple and modern-like "period" punctuation mark.

Note the characters for "ra", "ja", and "sha"; nevermind the "ca" and "ña" - wonder why these glyphs did not carry through to baybayin? One has to ponder when, how, and why our spoken language changed so much that these sounds are dropped from our written language. What happened between the time of the LCI until the re-introduction of these sounds with the arrival of westerners?

The few examples of alternate or modified sub-scripted and super-scripted character glyphs and those that form character conjuncts are surprisingly varied and complex (like those of "ra" and "ya"), I wouldn't be surprised that there are more letter combinations that are possible but lost (those sadly not recorded in the LCI).

*edit - Additional Info:
Note that the LCI glyphs are Old Javanese Kawi Script with just a few peculiar character variations. This is probably due to the way the characters on the Laguna plate seemed to have been hammered into cold copper instead of the characters being impressed into heated copper which was the norm in Java at the time.

Also, the language used in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription is a variety of Old Malay containing numerous loanwords from Sanskrit and a few non-Malay vocabulary elements from Old Javanese and Old Tagalog.

Other artifacts of interest:
* Kedukan Bukit Inscription
* Tanjong Tanah Code of Law

Thanks to the author of the Lingua Manūs for providing additional info (please read comments) and visit Tyro Blog.

Breaking it down

2010-03-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Over the centuries, the western alphabet has been studied, measured, standardized, and its letter shapes broken down to its core components. Modern print even analyzed every stroke and flourish and given them names and terminology as well as cataloged them by style, form, and function.

When it comes to typography, baybayin is still uncharted territory.

Standardization is needed for modern baybayin. However, "Modern" does not mean "bastardizing" the script by adding new characters or modifying existing ones without precise & careful comparative consideration to tangential scripts; (Brahmic/Indic) origin, (Malay/Kavi) related, (Mangyan/Tagbanua) living, and (cataloged/printed) historic. I find that breaking down each baybayin character or glyph to its most basic strokes and forms helps in understanding these origins and relationships.

I have broken down character elements and divided/grouped them by their consistent forms of strokes. Since there are currently no official terminology specific for baybayin typography, I went ahead and labeled them using a naming convention that would be familiar to almost every Filipino. See table/graphic below:

There are 5 main forms, each form is an individually stylized stroke or series of simple strokes. These forms are supported by one or two structural & decorative elements. The structural element determines the direction of the main form (horizontal, vertical, or angled).

These 5 forms and 2 support (structural & decorative) components are the most basic & consistent strokes of baybayin characters. These are based on all the samples (handwriting & print) found in books & manuscripts from 1600s up to the early 1900s and also compared with Brahmic/Indic, Malay, and our living scripts. I have been studying each individual baybayin & related script's characters and found every shape & form correlations. I will publish my findings for each and every letter/glyph and share a few of them with you here soon. The more precise info will be included in my book.

In the works

2010-02-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Font clean up and Unicode updates are slowly coming along.

I'm still have writer's block, but chapters of my baybayin book already got more info (in my head) since I started getting and reading old books and manuscripts from the 1600s to the early 1900s.

I'm studying more about modern Filipino orthography to better understand and create new proposed rules on modern baybayin.

I think I finally broken down every character/glyph to it's basic elements and have a standardization solution. I will write down the proposed rules and theories in my book.

More unfinished fonts are waiting in the sidelines as I prioritize my projects. Here's one sample:

To do list - Tagalog Unicode and Welding Fonts

2010-02-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

On Alibata & Baybayin updates:

I have many new Baybayin and "Alibata" fonts in the works. BTW, I am using the term "alibata" now to categorize baybayin fonts that are not styled after native Asian and Indic scripts; this will include Arabic Kufic & Western styled fonts and fonts that include expanded consonantal characters like those seen on Bayani Mendoza De Leon's manual (See example @ Christian Cabuay's site). Bear in mind that other than my stylized "Da" for "Ra" and open/closed kudlit or proposed markers, I will not add other new characters deemed unnecessary to my fonts (this means that I wont be making very many "alibata style" fonts). Artistically stylized characters like fantasy, techno, floral, or horror fonts will remain categorized as modern baybayin as long as the character or glyph shapes are not based specifically on western typefaces and do not have "expanded" characters. This means that BMF Block, even though uses Blackletter style is still categorized under "baybayin style" since the character shapes are in essence retains the traditional forms.

My immediate "to-do" tasks:

Welding Duty...
I found out, while developing the Baybayin Typepad app, that glyphs or parts of them that are not welded or joined together in will actually show any overlapping parts if you set the font antialiasing above normal range. My immediate goal before I released any more fonts is to fix these characters in all my released fonts and update all of the download packages. (This is what I get for my laziness) I apologize for my sloppy mistake, after updating the individual zip files I will also package all the updated set into one zip file bundle so that you don't have to download most of them one by one.

Who Ra?
Another thing I just noticed is that the Wikipedia entry, which uses unicode to display baybayin script, is actually using the reserved Tagalog Unicode address $170D to display "Ra" ("Da" really, duh!) - this is news to me since the current unicode chart for Tagalog still doesn't have a "Ra" and $170D is still on reserve. I failed to notice the Wikipedia use of $170D until my recent hard drive crash, when I revisited the site without the most basic baybayin fonts (Quivira & Morrow) and it showed the 170D marker for all the "Ra" entries on the examples. Nevertheless, as you can see on the image above, I have begun integrating my "Ra" character onto the $170D address on all my fonts. This will be part of my next font update release.

Fonts WIP

2010-02-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

The image below shows several unfinished/unreleased fonts in my computer's hard drive:

1) Kapampangan 1699 script is based on what is printed in the book Vocabulario de Lengua Pampanga by Alvaro de Benavente published in 1699.

2) Kapampangan 1962 script is based on what is compiled in a typed-written book of Kapampangan writer Zoilo Hilario's work entitled Bayung Sunis, published in 1962.

3) Kapampangan 1965 script is based on what is included this in renowned Kapampangan historian Mariano A. Henson's general list of Kapampangan characters in the final edition of his book Pampanga and Its Towns, published in 1965.

4) Kapampangan 2008 script is based on the modified version of the general list of characters presented in the primer Pamagkulit king Kekatamung Matuang Kasulatan written by Michael Pangilinan, published in 1989 by the Akademyang Kapampangan and later in Siuálâ ding Meángûbié (1995, 2002, & 2008).

More info on Kapampangan: Siuálâ ding Meángûbié website.

5) Mangyan Buhid and Tagbanua are based on the Quivira.ttf entries but made to be easily accessed by regular keyboards just like my Mangyan Hanunóo font.

6) Modern Damo is a horror or scary style font based on dried grass formations, the kudlits on that font has a floral look.

And many more to come. ;)

Baybayin Fonts Typepad

2010-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Do you want to test drive fonts before downloading them?
Do you want to write a word in Baybayin and share the image in Facebook?

If the application below doesn't load, try this link: Baybayin Typepad Page

Font Legend:

BMF = Baybayin Modern Fonts - download and info @ nordenx.blogspot.com

NMF = Nordenx Mangyan Fonts - download and info @ nordenx.blogspot.com

PMF = Paul Morrow Fonts - download and more info @ Sarisari, etc.

CCF = Christian Cabuay Fonts - download sample from www.baybayin.com

Warning! Do not rely on this tool for correct spelling and transliteration. This is a freeform learning tool. Unless you're already proficient with Filipino languages and Baybayin script, transcribing is best left to professionals.

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UPDATED to version 2.0

updated old fonts and added new fonts
added an image capture feature so you can download/save a .jpg copy of what you wrote and then upload/share it to your social media page like Facebook

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Baybayin Transliterator

2010-01-24T05:02:00.000-08:00

Important Note: This is not a word TRANSLATOR. It does not translate words from English to Filipino. It is a TRANSLITERATION learning tool. You will know if you correctly transcribed a word only when the syllables on display matches the Filipino pronunciation of the word you want.

This is also available an application in FaceBook as: Baybayin Keys

A dozen and counting...

2010-01-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

For the first ten fonts: >> click here to view the list of fonts from 2010 and earlier <<

+ Two more new free fonts for you!

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Modern-Sinta-Font-150968942

Download this font set from: http://nordenx.deviantart.com/art/Baybayin-Modern-Mono-Font-150969288

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Baybayin Modern Font (BMF) Sinta has exaggerated ascending & descending strokes and curls. This is influenced by some handwriting/calligraphy exercise I was doing recently.

BMF Mono is monospaced; almost all the glyphs are fixed-width except for the O/U character which is half-width, same as space and comma.

I initially thought that I released the BMF Mono when I released BMF Print. I apologize for procrastinating, I should've released this one a long time ago. Mono differs from Print in a couple of ways where Print is much more simplified, bolder, and has variable-width.

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"Alam mo, nung bata pa ako, ang tawag ko sa sulat natin ay Alibata? Alibata, alibata, alibata... parang pang bata. Ngayong matanda na ako, alam kong basahin, alam kong baybayin, alam ko ang sulat pilipino. Baybayin ang tawag dito. Baybayin natin ito."

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Ten for the 10s

2010-01-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

Galit sa kulit.

2010-01-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Learning the Kapampangan style of baybayin.

Súlat Kapampangan (a.k.a. pámagkulit) has been kept alive by loyal practitioners but for a long time it was only limited to the elite few - the scholars, intellectuals, and advocates. It is currently on a sort of revival with local youths, thanks to recent publications, several active organizations in universities in the Philippines, local artists and the Internet. However, the Doctrina Christiana based Tagalog (sans-virama) and Ilocano (w/ virama) versions of baybayin are more prevalent with Filipinos outside of the Philippines. This is due to the proliferation of sites that are a dedicated to "traditional" baybayin in that style, not to mention a larger population of Tagalog/Ilocano speakers and their third-generation (Fil-Am, Fil-Canadian, etc.) children who are rabidly searching for their roots and holding on to heritage.

Garlit at Kudlit

"Garlit" is the Kapampangan term for "Kudlit" (dot or stroke diacritic marks) and Súlat Kapampangan use the top & bottom kudlit to change each consonant character's default "a" sound to the basic "i" and "u" respectively, just like other versions of baybayin. But unlike the "traditional" baybayin, Súlat Kapampangan has a way to change the "i" and "u" sounds to "e" and "o" as well as lengthen the "a", "i", and "u" sounds:

To render an "e", write the character (not the kudlit) for "I" next to the consonant.
To render an "o", write the character (not the kudlit) for "U" next to the consonant.
To lengthen the "a" sound, write the character for "A" next to the consonant.
To lengthen the "e" sound, write the character (not the kudlit) for "I" next to the consonant that already has an "i" kudlit.
To lengthen the "u" sound, write the character (not the kudlit) for "U" next to the consonant that already has an "u" kudlit.

These methods work particularly well with the Kapampangan language since their "o" and "e" vowels are conversions of diphthongs to monophthongs, but it may be cumbersome if not confusing to other Filipinos who are mainly used to Tagalog, particularly the Filipinos born outside of the Philippines whose proficiency with other Filipino language is mediocre at best, let alone having an ear for the accents of native languages.

The Kapampangan language does not use the "H" sound except in loan words, naturally Súlat Kapampangan does not have a glyph for "Ha". It also doesn't have characters for the "W" and "Y" sounds, instead the glyph for "U" represents the "W" sound and the glyph for "I" is used for the "Y" sound. Furthermore, "Wa" is rendered by combining the "U" & "A" characters, while "Ya" is rendered by the combination of "I" and "A" characters. Also, to render a standalone "E", ligatured glyphs "A" & "I" are used; and to get a standalone "O", use the combination of "A" & "U" glyphs.

Virama, who needs yah?!

Forming consonant conjuncts by creating compound character ligatures is a method where trailing consonants (consonants without vowel sounds at the end of a syllable) can be written without using a virama (vowel cancellation mark) in order to render dead consonants in Súlat Kapampangan. Just like the virama, this method is adopted from other Brahmic scripts, and this method is also observed and recorded on the oldest artifact that bears Kawi (Old Javanese) and a proto-baybayin form of writing; the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI).

When writing horizontally (an alternative way), to remove the default vowel from a consonantal character, its glyph is stacked under its preceding "main" syllable character.

When writing vertically (preferred and considered traditional), to remove the default vowel from a consonantal character, its glyph is placed at the right of its preceding "main" syllable character.

Different ways to kill a vowel (and leave a dead consonant):

The Kapampangan method can be quite beautiful when used for typographic arts such as logos, tribal tattoos, calligraphy, etc. And if you're opposed to using the Spanish addition of a cross kudlit or any form of virama mark but still want to render trailing consonants (leading consonants is another story), then feel free to use the Kapampangan version of baybayin.

Caveat lector—

While the Kapampangan method has its advantages with a wider range of vowels and its ability to render trailing consonants, it is perfect for writing the Kapampangan language. However, it has its limitations when it comes to standardization or modern typeface design and word processing as well as rendering non-Kapampangan or foreign loan words. Legibility is often compromised when writing vertically, since stacking a character with a kudlit over another tends to confuse readers as to which glyph the kudlit belongs to, especially when spacing between characters are too close.

Súlat Kapampangan characters' evolution appeared to have diverted from other baybayin scripts through time since the 17th century. A 1699 publication, "El Arte de lengua Pampanga" by Alvaro de Benavente shows Kapampangan characters that are still very similar to the Ilocano script characters recorded in the 1620 Doctrina Cristiana with only slight variations on a couple of characters. Benavente's script also bears much resemble to the current living Tagbanua script from Palawan. Comparison of Benavente's script to the scripts recorded in recent publications from the 1960's up to 2008 by the likes of Zoilo Hilario, Mariano Henson, and Michael Pangilinan, et al. shows how cataloging handwriting changed the glyphs dramatically. And it is not just stylistic changes but the basic form of several Kapampangan characters have totally deviated from the Tagalog/Ilocano versions of baybayin. Couple these changes with the unique (vertical - top to bottom direction) method of writing, Súlat Kapampangan is in a class of its own. Another Philippine script that evolved similarly is Bikol's Basahan script (that's another story).

See sample images here: www.siuala.com

Emulating the Kapampangan writing method using "traditional" Tagalog/Ilocano baybayin characters could be a sensitive issue. On one hand we do not want to offend regional sensibilities, on the other hand imitation is the purest form of flattery. We should be proud and thankful that Kapampángans kept their script alive as did the Mangyans of Mindoro and the Tagbanua of Palawan. Indeed we need to look back to our pre-Hispanic austronesian and Brahmic origins as well as the preserved manuscripts from colonial times in order to understand our lingustic roots, but we also need to look at the current living scripts in order to find ways to save traditional baybayin. It may be idealistic to want to have a standardized script to represent all Filipinos, but we need to consider all things at hand and take careful steps to keep baybayin going for future generations.

One thing for sure, if you use the Kapampangan method with traditional baybayin script, it opens a new doorway to freely express yourself artistically and typographically. :)

Kapampangan style baybayin calligraphy - Tagalog words rendered using traditional Baybayin characters in Kapampangan arrangement creates interesting artwork:

(left) "bulaklak" vertically; (right) "bubuyog" horizontally