About Aksara Bali | Cultures of Denpasar

Aksara Bali is a traditional aksara Balinese people and developed in Bali. Aksara Bali is a abugida originate from Pallawa. This script is similar to Aksara Jawa, it's just that the difference lies in the curve of the form letter. Aksara meaning of script.

Balinese amounted to 47 characters, 14 of which are vowels (aksara sounds). Consonants (aksara wianjana) amounted to 33 characters. Aksara wianjana Bali which is used amounted to 18 characters. There is also aksara wianjana Kawi used on certain words, especially words that are influenced by Kawi and Sanskrit languages.

History of the aksara or the letter of Bali is inseparably connected with the existence of aksara that exist in India. In the holy book Svara-Vyanjana, writings of prof. Raghu Vira (1956), mentioned that in India the first time called aksara Brahmi. This aksara that became the forerunner of the aksara Dewanagari and aksara Pallawa. Aksara Dewanagari more developed in northern India, while the aksara Pallawa by inhabitants of southern India. Aksara Dewanagari used to write Sanskrit writings, while aksara Pallawa more widely used to write the Pallawa language. Aksara Dewanagari used in India in different languages, in addition to Sanskrit, also in Apabhramsa language, Marathi, Nepali, Prakrit and India's national language Hindi.

It is not known with certainty, since when the two languages, Sanskrit and Pallawa with their aksara its spread in Indonesia. It is estimated that in the fourth century AD, both language and this aksara was brought by Indian traders who are Hindu and Buddhist to this archipelago. From both of these languages ​​then emerged aksara Kawi or aksara Nusantara Ancient. Over time it aksara Kawi became aksara of Java, Bali, Bugis, Makassar and several other areas. This paper used to write manuscripts or ancient scriptures in earlier times.

Actually, arrangement of lontar characters was not preceded by character hanacaraka (honocoroko), but starting with kaganga pabama and so the number 18 fruit characters, same with a number of aksara Bali. There is a point below and above it, so the aksara is more similar to Dewanagari or Arabic letters.

Seen from hereditary, aksara Kawi or Java and Dewanagari or India, their relationship is very close like brothers. Both ancestor or derived from the same aksara, the aksara Brahmi, which is widely used in Asoka-India.

In Bali, aksara Dewanagari used to write Sanskrit language, while aksara Bali used to write language text of ancient Bali or Bali. Aksara developing in Bali is just Pallawa called semi-Pallawa. From this aksara developed into a aksara Kediri quadrate, then the Javanese and Balinese aksara. Some say that the aksara of Java and Bali (Balinese letters) is there, based on the legend that was created by King Aji Saka (year 78 AD) specifically created to commemorate fallen or death of two soldiers who fight one another, due to his loyalty to the King.

Aksara Kawi is the most common characters used in Indonesia ancient text, which is written in palm leaves. Kawi aksara has two forms, namely Javanese and Balinese. Balinese aksara used by the Balinese have a common character with the word Java, which are both silabik system mixes with phonemic properties. Javanese form a square, sometimes written slightly tilted, after the Bali metamorphose into slightly rounded and erect. Spelling used is the spelling Purwadresta, which widely used for writing on papyrus library, at the time of king Dharmawangsa (X century) until the time of Gelgel (XV century, especially in the era of King Dalem Waturenggong). The spelling was later changed in accordance with progress of time.