116. Rejang

 

The Rejang or Redjang alphabet belongs to a group of scripts known as Surat Ulu ('upstream script'), which includes Bengkulu, Lembak, Lintang, Lebong, and Serawai script variants. It is also sometimes known as Kaganga, after the first three letters, and is related to the Batak and Buginese alphabets. It is ultimately descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India by way of the Pallava and Old Kawi scripts.
The earliest known document written in the Rejang alphabet dates from the mid-18th century

Notable features

• Type of writing system: abugida / syllablic alphabet
• Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines
• Used to write: Rejang and Malay
• Mainly used for ritual texts, medical incantations and poetry

Rejang language

Rejang is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by about 200,000 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, in parts of Bengkulu Province, around Argamakmur, Muaraaman, Curup, and Kepahiang, and also in the Rawas area of South Sumatra Province. There are five major dialects of Rejang: Lebong, Musi, Kebanagung, Pesisir and Rawas.
Rejang is not to be confused with the Rejang-Baram group of languages spoken in Sarawak and Kalimantan on Borneo, which are quite different.

Consonants

Vowel and consonant diacritics, and other symbols

Thanks to T. R. Carlton of the University of Alberta for corrections to the script chart and for additional information.

Sample texts

Source: http://rejang-lebong.blogspot.com/

Transliteration

Saat ini akhir tahun 2009 di alam Kompasiana pernah berdiri kerajaan yang bernama negeri ngocoleria. Negeri ngocoleria ini dipimpin oleh seorang Raja yang adil dan bijaksana bernama Baginda ANDY SYOEKRY AMAL dengan permaisuri yang bernama Nyi Mas Ratu Kencana Inge. Baginda Raja memiliki dua orang selir yaitu Nyi Mas Rina Sulistiyoningsih dan Nyi Mas Siska Nanda. Kedua selir ini diincar oleh Menteri pertahanan ngocol yang bernama Adipati Aria Ibeng Suribeng. Untuk menjaga stabilitas negara dan stabilitas rumah tangga, sengaja Baginda Raja menikahkan putri satu-satunya yang bernama Nyi Mas kencana Wulung Nopey kepada Menteri Pertahanan Ngocol Adipati Aria Ibeng Suribeng. Semoga prasasti ini menjadi bahan pelajaran pada anak cucu jangan terlalu percaya pada menterinya
Source: http://edukasi.kompasiana.com/

Links

Information about the Rejang alphabet, language and people
http://unicode.org/charts/PDF/UA930.pdf (PDF)
http://www.ancientscripts.com/rejang.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejang_script
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejang_language
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=rej
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejang_people
http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=14537&rog3=ID
http://rejang-lebong.blogspot.com/