BAYBAYIN WRITING

WORKSHOP 101
( Kulitan - Gulisan )
By: Koiang Arnel David Garcia

There are eleven Makikatni or consonantal

glyphs in Kulitan, the recital order of
which are GA, KA, NGA, TA, DA/RA, NA,
LA, SA, MA, PA, BA.
a. Makikatni king akmulan ( velar ) : GA & KA
b. Makikatni king arung ( nasal ) : NGA
c. Makikatni king ipan ( dental ) : TA & NA
d. Makikatni king ipan a dela king dila
(alveolar) : DA/RA & LA
e. Makikatni pasalitsit king ipan ( fricative) :
SA
f. Makikatni king labi ( bilabial ) : MA & PA
g. Makikatni patiup king labi (aspirated
bilabial) : BA

Indung Sulat : Makikatni

(The Consonant Characters )

Indung Sulat : Siuala o Kakatni

(The Vowel Characters )

For vowel as Siuala or Kakatni has three basic vowel

characters. These are A, I, and U.
However, the Kapampangan language has two
monophthongized diphthongs.
These became the
vowels E and O and are represented by the mikukuyug
a siuala or miyasawang siuala or
married or
coupledvowels E and O. Unlike other Philippine
languages, the kapampangan language does not
interchange the vowels I and E since E is
monophthongized diphthong.
Kapampangan words
ending in the vowel E like bale ( house), pale (unhusked
rice), and sale ( nest) used to pronounced as balai,palai
and salai. Thus the vowel E is still written as AI in
Kulitan or Baybayin.

Indung Sulat : Siuala o Kakatni

(The Vowel Characters )

Likewise ,
the
Kapampangan language does not
interchange the vowels U with O since O is also
monophthongized dipthong. The kapampangan words
that end in O like babo (above), sabo ( soup or juice ),
ulimo ( tiger) all used to be pronounced as babau, sabau
and ulimau. Thus the vowel O still written as AU in kulitan
or Baybayin.

The Kambal Siuala or Twin vowels, represent the

lengthening of the vowel sounds and the glottal stops in
the kapampangan language.
These are usually
represented by the diacritical marks sakurut () and
telaturung (^) when writing the Kapampangan language
in the Latin script.

Indung Sulat : Siuala o Kakatni

(The Vowel Characters )

Changing the default vowel sound A to I

To change the default A sound of any of the consonantal
characters to I, simply place a garlit or diacritical mark above it.

Indung sulat
anak sulat

garlit or diacritical mark

Changing the default vowel sound A to U

To change the default A sound of any of the consonantal
characters to U, simply place a garlit or diacritical mark above it.

Indung sulat
sulat

garlit

anak

Changing the default vowel sound A to E

Since the Kapampangan vowel sound E was developed from the
monophthongisation of the diphthong AI, simply place the whole vowel
glyph I right next to the target consonantal glyph to change its inherent
vowel sound A to E.

Indung sulat
anak sulat

indung sulat a siuala

Changing the default vowel sound A to O

Since the Kapampangan vowel sound O was developed from
the monophthongisation of the diphthong AU, simply place the
whole vowel glyph I right next to the target consonantal glyph to
change its inherent vowel sound A to O.

Indung sulat
anak sulat

indung sulat a siuala

Kambal Siuala A
Lengthening the inherent vowel A
Since all Indung sulat consonantal glyphs already possess a
default vowel sound A simply add the Indung Sulat vowel
character A right after the target glyph.

Indung sulat
anak sulat

indung sulat a siuala

Kambal Siuala I
Lengthening the offspring vowel sound I
anak sulat
anak sulat

indung sulat a siuala

Kambal Siuala U
Lengthening the offspring vowel sound U
anak sulat
sulat

indung sulat a siuala

anak

Terminating the default vowel

sound

Terminating the default vowel

sound

Difference between Mikukuyug a

siuala and Kambal siuala
Mikukuyug a siuala
siuala

Kambal

Difference between Mikukuyug a

Siuala and Kambal Siuala
Mikukuyug a Siuala
Siuala

Kambal

Ding Kambal Siuala

Stress and Accents in Kulitan or Baybayin

The Kambal Siuala or the lengthening of the vowel

sounds in the Kapampangan language indicate the
stress emphasis given to one or more syllables in a
word. The accents or stress in the Kapampangan
language or often lexical in nature.
In
Kapampangan, there are usually two or more words
that are spelled similarly when written in the latin
script.
Their meanings are different however
depending on which syllable the emphasis falls. In
the Kapampangan language, a shift in stress may
indicate a change in numbers among nouns, a
change in tense among verbs, or even a change in
the parts of speech (Hilario, 1962, Henson, 1965
and Pangilinan, 2006 ).

The following classic example comes from Mariano Henson

( 1965 )

Painful (adjective)
( adjective )

Infirm ( Noun )

Difficult

In the Latin script, stress is indicated by the

indispensable use of the diacritical marks. A
placement of these marks could result in a
fallacy of accent, or the confusion of one word
with another due to similarity in spelling but

Writing Direction

Bunduk Alaya (Mount Arayat) is the home of the

Kapampangan sun god Apung Sinukuan.
And
considered the father of Kapampangan civilization.
Apung Sinukuan was said to have been the one who
taught Kapampangans how to express their thoughts
into written form. It being written top to bottom, left to
right, is said to be a pasingtabi or homage to the
movements of the sun. Refer to the following verse :

Anting Aldo sislag banua,

Keti sulip aslagan na.
Sisilang ya king Alaya,
King Pinatubu lulbug ya.

Like the Sun that shines from heaven,

Its radiance reaches down on earth.

Rising from Bunduk Alaya,

It descends on Mount Pinatubo

Writing Direction
One thing that makes Kapampangan people proud
of their indigenous script is the fact that it was
written vertically top to bottom, left to right, like
most traditional East Asian scripts.

bra nang Mr. Arnel David Garcia (Aug. 6, 2013 )

Traditional writing style

ATIN KU PUNG SINGSING
ART BY MR. ARNEL D. GARCIA

IBP MI OR THE LORDS PRAYER

WRITTEN BY ALLANDAIL RIVERA Y
LUMANLAN.

Traditional writing style

KAPAMPANGAN KU ALI NA MAGBAIU

BY ARTHUR AQUINO

Contemporary Baybayin or Kulitan

ATIN KU PNG SINGSING, THE MOST

SACRED SONG OF THE KAPAMPANGAN
NATION.
CALLIGRAPHY BY ALJON MEDINA USING
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP DESIGN SOFTWARE.

KAPAMPANGAN TATTOO BY JOHN

MANUNTAG

Contemporary Baybayin or Kulitan

KULITAN EMOTICONS
BY AKOPITO ARDINEZ

SAGISAG NING PAMPANGA OFFICIAL

PROVINCIAL SEAL

KULITAN SCRIPT BY JOEL PABUSTAN MALLARI

Traditional Baybayin or Kulitan

innovation
BAYBAYIN OR KULITAN

AETA

Traditional Baybayin or Kulitan

innovation
BAYBAYIN OR KULITAN

PRISONER

Traditional Baybayin or Kulitan

innovation
BAYBAYIN OR KULITAN

DETERIORATING

Contemporary Baybayin or Kulitan

innovation
ATIN KU PUNG SINGSING IN
KULITAN WITH ROMANIZED
SUBTITLE

ING LEGWAN NA NING LABWAD

BY ARNEL D.GARCIA 2012

Contemporary Baybayin or Kulitan

innovation

Bayung Luma,
Lumang Bayu by Arnel
D.Garcia 2012
This masterpiece was
chosen as an Honorable
Mention in the recently
held Philippine Visual Arts
Festival 2012 sponsored
by the National
Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA)

Baybayin or kulitan Tattoo

(Batik Baybayin o Kulitan )

Baybayin or kulitan Tattoo

(Batik Baybayin o Kulitan )

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Ancient Kapampangan Script

Table

Exception to the Rules

( Binukud )

One linguist once commented that the

Kapampangan language is quite a headache to
study because of its complicated and conflicting
grammar rules. The language is clearly a
reflection of the peoples mind and temperment.
Like the people themselves, the Kapampangan
language creates rules only to break them.
Clearly Kulitan faithfully reflects the language it
represents by creating a number of exceptions to
the rules of writing. Normally people write Kulitan
as the words are pronounced, a number of
exceptions have been made in writing the
indigenous names of persons and places.

Some innovation to the rules

Since the Kapampangan language can now

accommodate a variety of pronounciations due to
foreign languages and influx of foreign words into
its vocabulary, including the proliferation of
Spanish and English Christians names among
practically
every
Kapampangan
speaker,
advocates are now beginning to feel the limitations
of writing in Kulitan or Baybayin.
On the issue of consonant clusters:
The Kapampangan language normally follows a
syllable pattern where in consonants never cluster
but are always spaced by vowels (Del Corro, 2008).

Some innovation to the rules

Y= ia
W=ua
Z=s
X=s
F=p
V=b
J=d/a
C & Q=k
H=a
CH/SH=tia/sia

Some innovation to the rules

James Yap = Dieims Iap

John Cruz= Dian Krus
Michael/Mischelle = Maikel / Misiel
Charlene = Siarlin / Tiarlin
Chris Villaroel = Kris Biliaroel
Joel Garcia= diouel Garsia
Joyce Dungca = Dioise Dungka

Some Indigenous Surnames

Dimarucut =Dimarukut
Mallari = Mal a ari
Dalusung = Dalusung
Maniago = Maniagu
Maniti = Maniti
Gatpolintan = Gatpolintan
Magat = Magat
Herminigildo = Herminigildu
Salustiano = Salustianu

Magbaybayin o Magkulitan
tamu

MALAMARINE
Anyang anak ku pa eku pa kelingwan
Nyang atangalan ku ing tune mung legwan
Bigla meng abihag pusung mamakamal
Dapot makananu eku balung sabyan
Bistat marine ku a lapitan daka
King ba kung pagtapat ing tinubung sinta
Dapot kalele ku bigla ing ginulut ka
Maibug nakung palbug king dine ku keka.

Magbaybayin o Magkulitan tamu

PISAMBAN
King misan a bengi masala ya ing bulan
Mekapaglakad ku uli ning lisangan
Ot mipabanda ku lele ning pisamban
Karin daka ikit mipalub king dapal
Ing nasa ku keka maybug miyusigan
Uling ing sukli mu malambis a timan
Inya ing tagumpe yang kakung asahan
Sagid na ning bye ku ikang pakamalan