Filipino Cultural Heritage in the UST Archives

Baybayin script in 17th century land deeds

Christopher Miller

Thursday, 26 July, 12 1
 Filipino Cultural Heritage in the UST Archives
Baybayin script in 17th century land deeds

Christopher Miller

Thursday, 26 July, 12 2
Thursday, 26 July, 12

Blancas de San Joseph Ilocano catechism

1610 1621

López typeface
–
3
Thursday, 26 July, 12 4
 López typeface: 1593 Doctrina and Latin influences
a p y m s w b k d h ng g t l n i u
Doctrina Christiana

➘ ➘ ➘ ➘ ➘ ➘ ➘
1593

➘
Ilocano catechism

*
–
*
1621

*ƒ *
V

*
Doctrina Christiana
Rarer variants

kasalanan|
|

Thursday, 26 July, 12 5
 Sample “alphabets” as
written by Spanish observers

Ezguerra (1663), Arte de la lengua

Visaya en la Provincia de Leyte

•Where did they get their

samples from: single individuals?
Several different texts?

•How representative were their

samples? Unlikely everybody wrote
exactly the same way...

•How accurate were their

reproductions? Were they
influenced by Spanish writing
habits (“handwriting accent”)?

Thursday, 26 July, 12 6
 Printed Baybayin: books
Doctrina Christiana, en Lengua Española y Tagala (1593)

Blancas de San Joseph (1610)

Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala

Libro a Naisurátan Ámin ti Bagás ti Dotrina Christiana (1621)

Second-hand sample alphabets

Handwritten Baybayin: archives

Villamor (1922)
La Antigua Escritura Filipina/The Old
Philippine Writing

Santamaría (1938)
El “Baybayin” en el archivo de Santo Tomás

Oropilla (1998)
Deciphered Secrets: The Calatagan Pot

Thursday, 26 July, 12 7
 AFIO = Archivo Franciscano Ibero-Oriental,
Madrid AGI = Archivo General de Índias, Seville
PNA = Philippine National Archives
RAH = Real Academia de la Historia,
Madrid UST = University of Santo Tomas
AGI: Mangaldan 1599
• 3 hands ??? = Source unknown (Antoon Postma
photocopies)

???: Pampanga 1617, 1632

• 2 hands AFIO: Longos 1669, Los Baños 1608, Tanay 1702
• 2+3+1 hands

UST: Manila area 1602-1660, several undated

• ±100 hands or more?
PNA: a couple dozen more, dates?

AGI, ???: Taal 1591, 1619 AFIO: Mayubok 1681

• 7+17 hands • 2 hands

PNA: Baco 1679 RAH: Nauhang 1665

• 2 hands • ±7 hands

PNA: Iloilo 1647

• 1 hand

Thursday, 26 July, 12 8
 Subject matter
•land deeds (proof of UST’s title, back to earliest purchase)
•petitions
•testimonies (miracles, causes for beatification, activities of
religious)
• legal proceedings (lawsuits, divorce)

Types of Baybayin texts

• signatures (galore!)
• “envelope” or verso summaries
• marginal notes and footnotes
• complete documents (2 land deeds)

Thursday, 26 July, 12 9
Thursday, 26 July, 12 10
Thursday, 26 July, 12 11
Thursday, 26 July, 12 12
Thursday, 26 July, 12 13
 Baybayin evidence for pronunciation change in Spanish

Phonological change underway in late 1500s-mid 1600s

• Letters ‘g’ (before -e, -i) and ‘j’ were pronounced like ‘j’, ‘g[e/i]’,
‘x’ in modern Portuguese (“zh” and “sh”).
• Probable change in some dialects (e.g. Asturian) to
“sh” pronunciation
• During several decades before and after approximately 1600,
these changed in Standard Castilian to the “kh” or “h” sound

• Baybayin spellings show this variation: 1593 Doctrina Christiana

spells “Jesús” ‹si su›; 1621 Ilocano Catechism spells it ‹hi su›
• Several names in archival documents show this variation

Thursday, 26 July, 12 14
 Jerónimo (1610) Jerónimo (1635)
Hi du ni mu Hi du ni mu

Juan (1602) Juan (1618)

Su wa Su wa

Juan (1660)
Su wa

José (1660)
Su si

Thursday, 26 July, 12 15
 Juan Sarmiento (1620)
Hu wa

Juan Gogol (1635)

Hu wa

Thursday, 26 July, 12 16
 Printed Baybayin
• calligraphic, formal style

Handwritten Baybayin
• a range of styles:
More variety than between sample alphabets

• calligraphic, with flourishes

• neat, elegant, “businesslike”
• messy scrawls

Thursday, 26 July, 12 17
Thursday, 26 July, 12 18
 Stylistic versus structural variation

• a wide range of individual styles: angle, size,

strength of stroke etc.

There are also patterns of variation across

writers
•specific letter shapes shared across writers, even
with widely varying individual styles
•part of structural change in scripts, just like
structural change in spoken and signed languages
(pronunciation, vocabulary, sentence structures etc.)

Thursday, 26 July, 12 19
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹a›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Palawan
Doctrina
Christiana
Taa
l
Pangasinan

Taa
l

Taa
l Mindoro

Taa
Mindoro
l
Mindoro

Palawan

Pampanga
Palawan

Quezon

Palawan
Francisco (1975)

Thursday, 26 July, 12 20
Thursday, 26 July, 12

1591

Christiana
Doctrina
1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

Variation in Philippine script: ‹u›

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618
l
Taa

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679
Mindoro
Palawan

Palawan

1702
Mindoro
Palawan

1800s

1900s
21
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹i›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Doctrina
Christiana

Pangasinan

Palawan

Palawan

Palawan

Mindoro
Mindoro

Mindoro
Mindoro

Quezon

Quezon

Thursday, 26 July, 12 22
Thursday, 26 July, 12

1591

Christiana
Doctrina
1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

Variation in Philippine script: ‹h›

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647
Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro

1660

1665

1669
Mindoro

1679

1702

1800s

1900s
23
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹p›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Taa Taa
l Palawan
l

Palawan
Doctrina
Christiana
Palawan

Pampanga

Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro Mindoro
Mindoro

Mindoro Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro

Thursday, 26 July, 12 24
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹k›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Palawan
Taa
l
Palawan
Doctrina
Christiana Taa Palawan
l

Mindoro
Taa Taa
l l

Taa
l
Mindoro
Taa Pangasinan
l Quezon

Mindoro Mindoro
Taa
Pampanga
l Mindoro

Quezon Mindoro

Mindoro

Pampanga Mindoro

Thursday, 26 July, 12 25
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹s›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Taa Taa
l
l Palawan
Pangasinan

Doctrina
Christiana

Taa
l

Doctrina
Christiana Mindoro
Taa
l
Quezon Mindoro
Taa Mindoro
Mindoro
l
Quezon

Mindoro Mindoro
Taa
l Iloilo
Palawan
Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro
Pampanga Pampanga

Thursday, 26 July, 12 26
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹l›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Mindoro
Taa
l

Mindoro

Taa
l Taa
Mindoro
l
Pangasinan
Taa Mindoro
Doctrina
l
Christiana
Palawan
Taa
l
Palawan
Taa
l
Mindoro Palawan

Taa
l
Mindoro
Quezon

Taa
l Mindoro
Taa
l Mindoro

Pampanga

Thursday, 26 July, 12 27
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹t›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Mindoro

Palawan
Taa
l

Doctrina Palawan
Christiana
Palawan
Taa
l Mindoro

Mindoro Quezon
Mindoro
Quezon

Quezon
Taa
l

Mindoro

Pampanga

Thursday, 26 July, 12 28
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹n›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Pangasinan

Doctrina
Christiana

Palawan
Taa
l
Mindoro Quezon

Taa Palawan
l

Palawan

Taa
l Mindoro

Taa Mindoro
l

Mindoro Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro
Taa
l
Mindoro

Thursday, 26 July, 12 29
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹b›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Taal

Doctrina
Christiana

Taa Pangasinan
l

Palawan
Mindoro

Quezon Palawan

Mindoro
Palawan

Pampanga Mindoro Mangyan

Mangyan

Mangyan

Mangyan

Thursday, 26 July, 12 Mangy 30

an
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹m›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Palawan
Doctrina
Christiana
Palawan

Mindoro Palawan

Taa Mindoro
Taa
l
l
Mindoro
Pampanga

Iloilo Mindoro

Pampanga
Mindoro

Quezon
Taa
l Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro

Thursday, 26 July, 12 31
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹g›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Mindoro

Mindoro

Doctrina Quezon
Christiana
Mindoro

Palawan

Palawan

Palawan

Taa
l

Taa
l Taa
l

Pampanga Pampanga

Thursday, 26 July, 12 32
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹d›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Pangasinan
Palawan

Taa Palawan
l
Pangasinan
Palawan
Taa
l

Taa
l
Doctrina
Christiana
Taa
l
Mindoro Quezon

Mindoro Quezon

Mindoro

Mindoro
Mindoro

Mindoro
Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro
Quezon

Mindoro
Pampanga Quezon

Mindoro
Pampanga
Mindoro Mindoro

Thursday, 26 July, 12 33
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹y›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Taa Palawan
l
Palawan

Doctrina
Taa Palawan
Christiana
l
Quezon
Mindoro

Taa
l
Mindoro
Taa
l

Taa

Taa

Taa
l Quezon

Mindoro
Quezon

Thursday, 26 July, 12 34
 Variation in Philippine script: ‹ng›

1900s
1800s
1591

1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660

1665

1669

1679

1702
Palawan
Taa
l

Palawan

Mindoro
Taa
Doctrina l
Christiana Mindoro

Mindoro Mindoro

Mindoro

Palawan

Palawan

Thursday, 26 July, 12 35
Thursday, 26 July, 12

l
Taa
1591

Christiana
Doctrina
1593

1599

1602

1603

1604

1608

Variation in Philippine script: ‹w›

1609

1612

1613

1615

1617

1618
l
Taa

1619

1620

1622

1625

1628

1629

1632

1635

1636

1641

1642

1645

1647

1660
Mindoro

1665

1669
Mindoro

1679
Palawan

Palawan

1702
Mindoro

Palawan

1800s

1900s
36
 Intermediate origin of Old Philippine
script?
Philippine script was likely introduced indirectly via speakers of Bugis
or Makassarese from South Sulawesi:
Old Philippine script did not spell coda Cs: it had a ‹C(V)›
syllabographic template.
This is the same as Bugis-Makassarese script, which also
uses a
‹C(V)› syllabographic template. This is natural for these
languages because the range of syllable-final consonants is
limited and relatively predictable:
{-Nhomorganic /Chomorganic, - ŋ/_# }, {-Cα /_C α , -ʔ/_{#,b,d,g }}.
Fox (1979): only plausible for the script to have this feature if it
were adopted from Sulawesi users.
in Tagalog and other Philippine languages, there is a wide range of
syllable-final consonants and it is difficult to guess which one
should appear in a given case; there would be no plausible
functional motivation for not spelling these out overtly if the script
already allowed for that.

Thursday, 26 July, 12 37
 Vowel sign doubling

Philippine and South Sulawesi scripts also share a unique abbreviation

found only in these two scripts: two syllables with same consonant were
often spelled with a single consonant letter bearing two vowel marks.

Bugis-Makassarese Makassarese jangang-jangang

script (bird) script

soso ‘ases mapalapoporo tupalilika

ĕ

(By permission, Noorduyn 1993) (By permission, KITLV Tropenmuseum 668-216)

Thursday, 26 July, 12 38
 Nitong tubigan

Ang pagkatutuo

Don Dionisyo Capolong

Don Agustín Tiualag

(University of Santo Tomas Archives)

Thursday, 26 July, 12 39
 Didactic vowel sign combination: Doctrina and Tagbanuwa

Conklin (1991), fieldwork observations:

“After pronouncing the three vocalic signs, a common way of reading this
exercise aloud was to point to each basic or diacritic sign while chanting as
rapidly as possible, langláylu’-langláyli’, mangmáymu’-mangmáymi’, etc., ending
with ngangngáyngu’-ngangngáyngi’, wawa’.”

Thursday, 26 July, 12 40
 Didactic vowel sign combination in South Sumatra

De Sturler (1843)

“letter,When teaching spelling the native puts various signs together on the
and the learner reads ka kejunjung kar, keluan kir, kebitan kur;
ka duwa di atas kan, keluan kin, kebitan kun;
ka ketulang kang, keluan king, kebitan kung.
”
kelua kejunjung kelua duwa di kelua ketulan
n n atas n g

kebita kebita kebita

n n n

Thursday, 26 July, 12 41
 Vowel sign combination in South Sulawesi

Marsden (1834)

(Modern, back-slanted style)

Didactic use of ‹ĕ› in Makassarese to represent

-N: derived from “CaNceCiʔ CaNCoCuʔ”?
Bugis has / a e ĕ i o u/; Makassarese has no / ĕ / .

Thursday, 26 July, 12 42
Thursday, 26 July, 12

Bugis- Intermediate Extra variant shapes Post-Gujarati

Makassarese shapes – Philippines shapes

a
p y
m w
b
ng g
ગ

t
l n
s
h k
d
43
Thursday, 26 July, 12

Gujarati:
North & South Philippines: Intermediate Devanagari: 17th
17th-20th
Sumatra 17th-20th centuries shapes to 19th centuries
centuries

a
p
y
m s
w
b
k
d
h ng
g t
(Makassarese: KITLV Tropenmuseum)
(Lampung: van der Tuuk (1868))

l n
(Batak: Uli Kozok)

i u

(University of Santo Tomas Archives) (University of Bombay Archives, Mumbai)

(Marcilla y Martín 1895) (Meherji Rana Library, Navsari, Gujarat)
(España. Real Academia de la (Indian Type Foundry)
Historia)
44
Thursday, 26 July, 12 45