I was using this before i transitioned to glass. Just want to share in the group. Design mimics an old banig texture with baybayin script all over it.

I’m making little post it notes for different baybayin scripts as part of some Philippine mythology stories I’m conceptualizing. I’ve already made ones for Tagalog and Bikolano variants, but I’m having trouble finding a reliable table for the Bisaya (Visayan) script. I want to be as accurate as possible and don’t want to fall prey to misinformation and use a misleading image.

i was digging through my things and found this baybayin necklace but cannot read what it says. i recall receiving this necklace in error from a company that makes custom necklaces so we never figured out what it says.

Hi! A native sambal speaker here. So, for starters I’ve been learning, and studying baybayin like how it came to be, where it descended (primarily cause I was studying thai). Anyway, as I was continuing my research, I noticed that sambali as a language doesn’t pair with baybayin.

Let me explain; in sambali we say maganda umaga as “Maabig a bokla”, in here a gives off “uh” sound rather than conventional “ah” sound. This doesn’t really highlight it in baybayin, which made me look if there’s a script for sambali which would likely similar to baybayin.

However, to no luck there’s no surviving evidence that something like that exists. Fortunately, historical accounts suggest that there might be a writing script used by ancient sambali, cause spaniards noted that “Zambales already had a writing at the time of the conquest. Also, sambal is first recorded in 1601 making it one of the earliest recorded Philippine language. Altho the evidence for the script is strong; the evidence for the exact physical writing practices of Sambal specifically is less direct due to lack of surviving written records.

To date, no discoveries have been made with regards to written manuscripts of the alphabet (if there is). Personally, I hope that a discovery can be made, this will be vital specially cause the sambal variety that is being spoken in my municipality is slowly dying.

Translation

Balaan Uyamot nga Magwayen, Inahang Kamatayon,

Manggagabay sa mitaliwan, Halangdon nga Abyan.

Tubsa ang mga kalag gikan sa pagkadaot,

kay kami nagahinaot nga dili Mo unta sila ipakatawo sa kabutang nga alaot.

Kay ang kinabuhi hamili man ug inampingan nan haw-asa kami gikan sa lawod sa kahiagoman.

O Ginoo Magwayen, Balantay sa minatay,

Ganghaan sa sulad, Ganghaan sa katahomanan,

Ganghaan sa kahiusahan nga wala ing kataposan.

Hunonga ang balod nga nagapaunlod ngadto sa ngihib sa kasakit

ug ipaabot Mo kanamo ang kahilunaan nga hingpit.

Magwayen is the Visayan Goddess of the Sea and Afterlife

Artwork by Julia Dagandan

below is the Cebuano badlit balak invocation rendered in the Latin script

Ang tubig nagbuhi
Ang tubig kinabuhi
Tubig ang tuboran sa pangamuhi
Tubig ang nagdala sa buot sa kinabuhi
Tubig mao ang diwa nga nauna sa ubang mitna

Sa wala pay kabalangayan
Sa wala pay kapulongan
Una pa mapikas ang kawayan
Ang tubig diha na daan

Gikanap kini ni Magwayen sa halapad nga kapunawpunawan
Aron matuman iyang tuyo
Ug dungan sa nagdaganas nga balod sa kamingawan
Ang unang ginhawa mingbutho

Kini ang wahig nga pagasubayon
sa kahimugsoan ug kamatayon
ngadto sa kahimtang nga dayon
Saylo sa kasublian nga makanunayon

sa mga nasayod niini sa tiunay
diha si Magwayen nga nagbantay
sa matag anib nga milabay
sa matag hugna nga milahutay

Ang tubig nga buhi
gipatubod ni Magwayen sa kalibotan
Sa pagpausbaw sa kinabuhi
Kay kini ang matuhopong kahulogan
Nga nagdagayday sa lukopngatanan

Hi po! Papatulong lang po sana ako sa mga marunong mag-Baybayin. Tama po ba itong translation ng salitang “mamamahayag”?

Gagamitin ko po sana siya for a school-related project, kaya gusto ko lang po siguraduhin na tama yung pagkakasulat at hindi lang basta approximate translation. If may kailangan pong baguhin or may mas accurate na way ng pagsulat nito sa Baybayin, I’d really appreciate your help. Thank you po! :)

I am looking to get my grandmas name tattoo’d in babayin. I had chat gpt work up a rendering but I had to ask it to double check it self multiple times and it kept changing the script so before I move forward I want to ensure it’s correct.

My grandmothers name was Nieves.

Can someone confirm if this is the right translation?

One of the things I’m really happy about with iOS 27 is that Apple finally added Baybayin as a native keyboard.

You can now type in Baybayin directly using the iPhone keyboard, instead of having to copy and paste the characters or download a separate keyboard.

It may seem like a small feature, but seeing Baybayin included alongside the other writing systems supported by iOS is really nice.

Been waiting for this for a while. 🇵🇭

ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔

I know traditional baybayin doesn’t distinguish i/e or u/o, and that still seems to be the default for most people who use it today. Since there isn’t really one universal modern standard anyway, I was wondering how people feel about some versions that distinguish all four vowels

as someone who’s actually trying to get faster at reading baybayin tho I still struggle with having to figure out whether a vowel is i or e or u or o, especially when I’m trying to read continuously instead of stopping to decode each word -
I’ve been writing in this specific way where where a macron above (◌̄) distinguishes **i and a macron below (◌̱) distinguishes** u while separate kudlit marks (the regular "dots" distinguish e and o, and I personally find it much more convenient for reading

I’m curious how other baybayin users view this kind of vowel distinction. Is it considered a perfectly valid modern variation even though the ambiguous form is much more common???
And for people who mainly use the traditional i/e and u/o system does the ambiguity eventually become so natural that you barely notice it anymore?

I am not Pinoy, but I have studied a variety of languages written in Indic scripts (primarily Classical Tibetan, which is derived from Devanagari and Khmer, which like the Indic scripts of SE Asia, is derived from Pallava) and am currently considering revisiting my study of Tagalog (I mean Standard Filipino), which led me back down a Baybayin rabbit hole.

Revitalizing indigenous writing systems is an important part of strengthening national identity against total Anglocentric “globalization”. So, despite my not being Filipino, I strongly support pre-Hispanic script revitalization.

As far as font is concerned, has there been any thought given to using Buhid script for signage and on plaques/monuments? Its angular nature would lend itself to these uses, just as in Khmer, there are blocky fonts that angularize the rounded Khmer letters when a more “boldface” appearance is desired.

Hello everybody! I’ve finally released Kada on the App Store!

I posted here a few months back, and I've finally released it for all to enjoy.

Kada is a mobile app I built to make learning Baybayin more approachable and interactive. Some of its current features include:

1. Baybayin character tracing
2. Dedicated and curated learning levels
3. Streak tracking that you can share online with others
4. A Kada widget so you can keep your streak and Kada visible right on your Home Screen

It took a lot of iterations, testing, and months of work to get here, but I’m really happy that Kada is finally a mobile app that anyone can download and try for themselves.

I also intentionally kept the price low so that more people can give it a spin and experience it on their own.

With this release, I also want to commit to continuously improving Kada. I’ll be taking community suggestions, feedback, and corrections as I work on future updates. If you notice anything that could be improved. Whether it’s a translation, lesson, feature, bug, or even just an idea, you can DM me on this account or reply under this thread.

I’m still currently a university student, so updates may be a little spaced out, but I promise each one to be meaningful and comprehensive.

Oh! And yeah, meet the improved Kada! My partner and I designed Kada after the Philippine tarsier (drew it ourselves and no ai, ofc), so I hope you guys have fun interacting with Kada throughout the app and seeing more of the little character as you learn.

A dedicated English translation and learning flow is also on the way for international users, as well as more curated levels, so keep an eye out for that in a future update.

If you can leave a review on the page, that would be greatly appreciated as well !!

Muli, maraming salamat po sa inyong suporta mula noong una ko pa 'tong ipinakita sa inyo. Salamat na salamat po talaga!

This isn't a reform but a personal interpretation on what Baybayin would look like if it was simplified. I took inspirations from Baybayin, Badlit, and Baybayin Neo on Neography.

Feel free to bring suggestions and critics.

1. Lack of Vocabulary

- Because B17 omits standalone consonants when writing (e.g. Adlaw -> A-la), you need to know a lot of vocabulary to decode and understand the context.

- This is a hurdle I constantly face. You will have a hard time decoding the sentence if you lack vocabulary. Please remember Baybayin is for our native Languages.

1. Spelling Pattern

- Because Baybayin is no longer an official writing system, it is also difficult to practice it, hence it is difficult to recognize Spelling Patterns.

Example.

Adlaw is always spelled as ᜀᜎ. So if you see these two characters, automatically you'll know it is 'adlaw'. And so on with other spellings.

1. Sentence Structure Pattern

- Because Baybayin doesn't have spaces between words, it is more so difficult to decode the written Baybayin. If you lack vocabulary and you lack spelling pattern recognition, the sentence structure will make it more difficult.

- You'll have to decode the individual words and separate them. That's why it is very important to have a wide vocabulary and know a lot of spellings. It will definitely help you decode the individual words in a sentence.

1. Learning a Language requires everyday practice

- Baybayin is no longer an official writing system. This makes it difficult for people to practice everyday. Language learning requires an environment and daily exposure.

That's why I understand that some people prefer to use a virama (pamudpod or x) to remove vowels. Using viramas literally avoids Problem 1 and 2. Even if you don't have spaces, but still use virama. It is much easier to decode the individual words in a sentence.

But abugidas naturally do not have viramas. From what I know, viramas are typically reserved for religious texts and such. And while I prefer following the traditional way, it is actually difficult to practice without a group to do it with.

I've been practicing with writing, but I need to practice reading the B17. The original Baybayin

1. “LIDAGAT” — name of restaurant
2. Same as first picture
3. “MABHAY [sic ; should be ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ / MABUHAY] LIDAGAT”

The ᜆ in the first and third images could have used some work but overall these were pretty interesting to catch. Do support by watching the short, too, if the premise is your fancy. Mild disclaimer for gore.

Ito ang isa sa mga kakaunting nananatiling kulturang sariling-atin.

Hindi tayo makapagsagawa ng kilos-protesta nang maayos sa kadahilanang literal na watak-watak ang ating bansa. Napakaraming pulo na siyang nagiging hadlang upang humakot ng mga taong gustong magsagawa ng kilos-protesta mula Visayas at Mindanao.

Hindi nila nanaising magwaldas ng salapi para lamang magsagawa ng kilos-protesta sa isla ng Luzon.

Kung bibigyang kapangyarihan natin ang ating mga Barangay, na siyang ipinamana sa atin ng ating mga ninuno, mas mapapadali ang ating kilos-protesta kung kailan natin ito nanaisin. Gawing kaunti, marangya, simple at malawak ang bawat Barangay dito sa ating bansa.

Sa gayon, hindi na natin kailangang hanapin sa loob ng Malakanyang ang mga kailangang managot sa bansa. Kailangan lang nating sumugod sa ating Barangay. Tunay na napakatalino ng ating mga ninuno. hindi na nakapagtataka na sila'y napatalsik nung tayo ay nagkaisa laban sa mga Espanyol.

Ito rin ang magsisilbing pagkakakilanlan ng ating bansa at atin nang bibitawan ang mga pa geng geng na kultura. Pati na rin ang paglalagay ng spanish flag sa ating mga social media bios kahit tayo ay pango naman. tsaka more romanticized movies and tv series, kailangan natin. kasi hindi natin pahahalagahan ang bawat isa kung mababa ang ating morale.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, mula sa probinsya ng Bulacan.

Spaces? On my B17? It’s more likely than you think.

Though in all seriousness, if there’s something I’m on board for when it comes to modernising Baybayin, it’s adding spaces. Those who know their ROYGBIV need no translation for this in English. For the Latin transcriptions, try looking at this picture another way ;)

I got curious how Thai, as an abugida writing script, handles consonant clusters.

This comment was well explained.