Batak Script

Aksara Batak

The development of traditional culture Nusantara experiencing an increasingly competitive challenges of the cultures of other countries. This is an indication of the need for an innovative breakthrough to boost the return of traditional cultural values ​​that slumped to a more reasonable in view of modern society. 

One of the characters that need special attention are the endangered Batak script associated with limited sources of data and information. In contrast to the literature and culture of Java is quite exist, Batak script is still very minimal understood by the public. Even most of the Batak people themselves are unaware of the Batak script.


Factors that cause the extinction of traditional Batak script writing, among others:

1. Most of the Batak literature was never written. Folklore in the form of fables, myths and legends, for instance, and umpasa, torhan-torhanan, turiturian, huling-hulingan all derived only orally from generation to generation.
2. Introduction of Islam and Christianity to the Batak lands, who hated products pustaha the datu who are considered "objects of infidelity" resulting in the emergence of mass destruction. As a result, since 1852 has been endangered pustaha.
3. Batak pustaha remaining extant collections stored in museums or libraries abroad, especially the Netherlands and Germany, and a small part in the National Library of Jakarta. 

Batak pustaha remaining extant collections stored in museums or libraries abroad, especially the Netherlands and Germany, and a small part in the National Library of Jakarta.

In today's modern era of communications media are most effective global write is Latin letters. The fact is the basis for adaptation efforts Batak alphabet characters into Latin letters, as a good solution in terms of functionality, efficiency and benefits that can be accepted by society. These factors are important, given the script in terms of communication are no longer needed.

The ultimate objective of the research process is the production design character script Latin letters archipelago, with a focus Toba Batak script, which makes the Batak script is easily accessible and known character by the tribes and other nations around the world, including the Batak society itself. Thus, the Latin letters alphabet character of this archipelago can function as a mediator of socialization Batak visual literacy with the level of effectiveness is equivalent to the Latin letters and the rate of spread of a global standard.

Letter Pattern Design Process

As written communication media, letters have significant differences with Latin letters, especially in terms of visual and technical readings. Differentiator in terms of visuals such as proportions, visual character, the anatomy of letters, and the construction geometry. Variants from a technical point of reading is included in the Batak script script type silabik, the script describing the syllable (a-ha-ma-na-ra), while Latin letters included in this type of phonetic alphabet which is kind of script in the form of phoneme symbol (ab-CDE ). On the basis of these differences, then the process of adaptation characters require some form of basic pattern of letters that became a meeting point between Toba Batak alphabet characters with Latin characters.

Urutan Aksara Batak Toba (Ina ni surat)