The Hæven of John

I know what you have in mind, how about the vowel sound e, i, o, u, how do we write these? First, we have to remember that in Baybayin the vowel sound ‘e’ and ‘i’ are just the same as well as ‘o’ and ‘u’. To tell the reader that it is ‘ko’ in the word “ako” (en: me), our ancestors add a kudlit below the letter ‘ka’ (ᜃ) to make it ‘ko’ (ᜃᜓ). To write “ate” (en: older sister), add the kudlit above the letter ‘ta’ (ᜆ) to make it ‘te’ (ᜆᜒ).

It’s easy to remember, vowel sound e/i = above kudlit; vowel sound o/u = below kudlit. Got it?

Our ancestors were using this writing system for hundreds (maybe even thousands) of years before the Spaniards landed in our shores and claimed that we are uncivilized and without a writing system (a common argument even to this day to support the claim that our history started in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines). One of the proof that the early writers (and other historians today) were/are wrong was the fact that the Spaniards introduced the virama in Baybayin.

No, virama was not some señora, it is a cross sign (they brought Roman Catholicsm with them - hence cross) that is added below the Baybayin letters (except the letters a, e/i, o/u, and ‘ha’) to tell the reader that the letter ends as a consonant or without a vowel sound. This was introduced because in Western languages a word may end in a consonant but in Baybayin it is not allowed.

Baybayin (and Tagalog itself together with the rest of the Philippine languages) is a syllabical language which can only be of V or CV per syllable. For example, “ama” (en: father) is VCV (Vowel-Consonant-Vowel). But words like “mabuhay” (en: a Filipino greeting; or to live) and “kapatid” (en: sibling) are CVC. In Baybayin script, these two words will be written as “mabuha” (ᜋᜊᜓᜑ) and “kapati” (ᜃᜉᜆᜒ).

So the letter ‘y’ in “mabuhay” is written by adding virama below the letter ‘ya’ (ᜌ) to become ‘y’ (ᜌ᜔).

This subject is a sensitive one, there are Filipinos who will not accept the usage of virama at all. They have valid reasons and so does those who are okay with its usage. I can only say, languages improve both in writing form and in speech form.

• It is based on syllables, so spell your word as it sounds
• Drop all silent-letters
• Originally: if the ‘r’ is between vowels, it is written as ‘d’ in Baybayin, otherwise use the script for ‘l’
• Today however, it will confusing. Simply use the ‘ra’ Baybayin character adopted from Bikol Baybayin
• The consonant letter ‘h’ does not exist in Baybayin. The letter ‘h’ without a vowel after it is always a silent letter.

• Translate the word into any Philippine Language (we have a lot)
• If there is no direct translation, translate the meaning of the word instead. This is an Asian practice or tradition.
• If there is still no translation, time to transliterate - again, spell it as it sounds.
• Follow the rules mentioned above

When Dr. Jose Rizal wrote/said the famous “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa malansang isda“, he was partly (or mostly) referring to Baybayin. According to some historians, during the time of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Tagalog language and other Philippine languages were widely used on the islands, from casual conversation to being a subject in schools.

If it was, then he was referring to the written form of our language(s) - the Baybayin script. Which during his time, the knowledge and usage of our own writing form was declining rapidly - to extinction - in favor of the Latin script (ie. ABCDE) which the Spaniards introduced and taught widely in our schools.

What do you think?