Tagbanwa script

Infobox Writing system
name=Tagbanwa
type=Abugida
languages= Languages of Palawan
fam1=Proto-Canaanite alphabet
fam2=Phoenician alphabet
fam3=Aramaic alphabet
fam4=Brāhmī
fam5=Pallava
fam6=Old Kawi
sisters=Balinese
Batak
Baybayin
Buhid
Hanunó'o
Javanese
Lontara
Old Sundanese
Rejang

time=c. 1300–present
unicode= [http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1760.pdf U+1760–U+177F]
iso15924=Tagb
sample=
image_size=150px

Tagbanwa, also known as Apurahuano, is one of the indigenous writing systems of the Philippines. The Tagbanwa language, an Austronesian language, with about 8, 000 speakers in the central and northern regions of Palawan, is dying out as the younger generations of Tagbanua are learning Cuyonon and Tagalog.

Origin

The Tagbanwa script had been used in the Philippines until the 17th century. It is believed to have come from the Kawi script of Java, Bali and Sumatra, which in turn, descended from the Pallava script, one of the southern Indian scripts derived from Brahmi. [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tagbanwa.htm Omniglot: Tagbanwa] . Accessed August 28, 2008.]

Features

Tagbanwa is a syllabic alphabet in which each consonant has an inherent vowel /a/. Other vowels are indicated either by separate letters, or by diacritics. When vowels appear at the beginning of words or one they own, they are represented by separate letters.

Tagbanwa is traditionally written on bamboo in vertical columns from bottom to top and left to right. Though it is read from left to right in horizontal lines.

Unicode

The Unicode range for Tagbanwa is U+1760–U+177F. Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points.

References

ee also

*Baybayin
*Buhid
*Hanunóo
*Tagalog alphabet

External links

* [http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1760.pdf Unicode Tagbanwa Range 1760-177F (in PDF)]
* [http://youpibouh.thefreecat.org/download/tagbanwa.htm Tagbanwa font]