Pemujur Tulis Dunging

Kelimpah ari ti udah ngaga software LaserIban, aku diatu ngarapka tulis nya ulih diterima masuk dalam silibus jaku Iban di sekula. Nyalai aku agi ngiga cara ti ulih ngaduka tulis nya awakka masuk dalam silibus jaku Iban. Bedau lama ti udah, aku bisi dipanggil sida Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) nulong sida iya interbiu raban pensyarah kitai Iban ti ke diambi sida ngemeranka Unit Bahasa Iban di UPSI. Tu meh ti keterubah Unit Bahasa Iban dipenyadika di tikas universiti di Malaysia. Nyadi UPSI udah ngambi dua iko pensyarah kitai Iban enggau siko felo kena muka Unit Bahasa Iban tu, ti start dalam kandang setaun ari diatu. Unit nya ngajar nembiak kitai Iban di UPSI ti ngambi major Bahasa Melayu tang minor Bahasa Iban. Aku ngarapka aku ulih berengkah mai tulis Dunging tu ngagai pelajar bahasa Iban di UPSI kelimpah ari ti betemu enggau sida Unit Etnik Bahasa di Putrajaya. Kelimpah ari ti bisi kaul enggau UPSI, aku mega udah mantaika tulis Dunging tu dalam Sarawak Gazette ti udah direkodka sida Opis Kepala Menteri Sarawak ari siti dokumen beguna dalam menua Sarawak.

From wooden tablet to computer software - Tulis Dunging

Nyadi tulis aki Dunging tu ditengkebangka iya dalam taun 1947, maia iya ti digelar orang semenua 'Saudagar' laban iya amat beduit asil ari ti bejual getah pera. Keterubah iya nengkebang tulis nya bisi 77 leka. Udah nya semanjai taun ari 1947 ngagai 1962 iya ngaluska tulis nya, lalu mayuh leka enda agi dikena sampaika ti nyata jadi baka ka diatu, 59 leka urup. Nyadi tusun urup aki Dunging tu nadai tentu beratur. Nyalai amat pedis orang ti ka nguji ngingatka leka urup iya tu. Bepun ari nya, aku lalu nguji ngatur urup iya ngena sistem urup latin (alphabetical order). Leboh maia aku ngemanjaika tulis iya ngagai siti kompeni US ti benama Linguist Software di Edmonds Washington DC, dia sida pan ngasuh aku ngatur nitihka cara latin alphabet (ABC). Lalu sida LinguistSoftware tu tadi udah nembuka software tulis Dunging ti dikumbai sida iya LaserIBAN, tau dikena naip dalam Windows enggau Macintosh. Software tu ulih dibeli ari sida LinguistSoftware tang rega iya amat pama, USD100. Nyadi enti meli ari aku, rega iya bisi kurang agi semina aku lalu bedau netapka berapa rega ti patut ba raban kitai Iban. Nyalai enti kita bisi meda gaya font dalam blog tu, font nya ka bendar tulis aki Dunging tang laban kita nadai ngembuan software laserIban, nyalai tulis Dunging pansut dalam font ti nyelai. Bakanya ko jerita pasal pemansang tulis Aki Dunging ti dikangauka kami di menua din Aki Piek, laban iya diau menya di menua Piek.

Cherita Asal Aki Dunging

Aki Dunging tu bisi lima iko diri menyadi nyengkaum iya empu. Bala menyadi iya, Munan, Engkasan, Mawan, enggau Mapan. Nyadi aki aku ti ngadaka indai aku ianya Mawan. Nyalai Aki Dunging tu pan endang asai aki endar aku laban iya menya selalu nemuai ngagai kami lebuh maia iya ti bedagangka perengka tinchin sebelah menua Lubok Antu. Dunging tu meh biak endar ke sida semenyadi. Nyadi bini Dunging tu dikangau ka kami Ini' Anggai. Nyadi seduai iya nadai anak tang bisi ngiru anak, ianya Uncle aku, Mr. Bagat Nunui (anak menyadi bini Dunging empu). Mr. Bagat tu tadi lalu bebini ngambi menyadi indai aku, nya alai tak semak endar meh bala putar kami sebilik. Mr. Bagat tu meh ti ngemendarka aku ngemajuka tulis aki Dunging tu. Diatu bilik Dunging ditampung ulih Mr. Bagat ti lalu jadi Tuai Rumah bala di Nanga Ulai, Ulu Rimbas, Debak, pegai Betong. Tu semina jerita ngelansa pasal kaul aku enggau aki Dunging tu, lalu mimit pasal penatai iya. Ari jaku tusoi bala sida aya aku, agi mengkang mayuh meh jerita aki Dunging tu. 

The Alphabet from 1947-1962 (77 characters)

International Conferences for Dunging's Alphabet

I will be presenting a paper entitled, 'Iban Alphabet: A Revival' at the 7th International Conference of the Malaysian Social Science Association, in USM, Penang from 16-18 March 2010.

I will be presenting a paper entitled, 'Iban Alphabet: Training and Documentation' at the 1st Borneo International Conference of Languages and Literatures (BICOLL), in Riverside Majestic Crowne Plaza, Kuching from 8-9 June 2010.

I will be presenting another paper entitled, 'Iban Alphabet: From mythical origin to intellectual invention' at the 10th Biennial Borneo Research Council Conference, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak, Miri from 5-7 July 2010.

Tu meh ripih atur pejurai 2010, aku deka bejurai ka pasal tulis Dunging tu awakka ditemu bala mayuh ukai semina ari raban kitai Iban tang mega ari bala raban bansa bukai.

Tabi bala pemacha weblog...

Keterubah aku meri besai terima kasih ngagai bala kita ti sanggup ngetu nyengok webblog Tulis Iban Dunging tu. Aku enggau ati ti gaga deka ngemajuka Tulis Aki Dunging kitai tu ti ditengkebangka iya kelia jeman tang tau dikena kitai nulis jaku Iban. ba dunya moden tu .Aku ngelaluka sebarang komen tauka cadangan ari bala kita mayuh kena kitai sama bela ngemajuka tulis kitai Iban. Arapka aku ulih meri balas enggau jampat ngagai bala komen tauka cadangan kita mayuh.

aCvâL cLâr

Words of Gratitude

I MUST THANK THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ALONG THE LINE: 

MR. BAGAT ANAK NUNUI

MR. SIMON INGKA CROWN

MR. SAMUEL AUBREY

SARAWAK GAZETTE

MISS JACQUALINE ANOM

MR. KELVIN ANOM

MR. NGABONG KATOI

THE JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN!

Iban Language Software for 

Microsoft Windows Applications: 

Up for Sale soon! 

The price details will be ready soon

 

Here's a sample of computer wordprocessed Iban writing

I tried to use the Iban font on mozilla but somehow there isn't any transliteration for the Iban font as yet. Anyway, hopefully, it is possible to use the font later in the future.

SARAWAK GAZETTE - IBAN ALPHABET

Transferred from Dunging's Chart (revised by Bagat)

The picture shows how the characters were arranged by Dunging after a final revision. The characters were rather disorganised by virtue of the Latin alphabetical system, making it (59 caharacters) rather difficult to learn and memorize. When I first analysed it, I thought it required a bit of changes particularly in terms of the sequence of the characters. I thought that it should be arranged according to a certain system that is both familiar and easy for prospective users. After some discussion with the Linguist Software, US, I agreed that the sequence be arranged in an alphabetical order for ease of use. When the characters were finally 'inputted' into the computer, the characters were sequenced according to the Latin alphabetical system in a software known as the LaserIban.

Iban Characters in Wooden Tablet

Some background info on the alphabet

In 1947 Dunging invented 77 characters/symbols representing phonological sounds in the Iban language. His alphabet was taught to a few of his nephews while the rest of the people in his community were too illiterate to appreciate the significance of his alphabet then. Undaunted by the poor response from the surrounding community, Dunging kept at revising and refining his alphabet until after almost 15 years he managed to discard some overlapping and redundant characters. He finally managed to revise the alphabet from 77 to 59 characters in 1962. Dunging was once invited by some colonial officers to teach his alphabet system to the Iban public in Betong. through formal education. His effort was unfortunately short-lived as he was not in agreement with some of the terms stipulated on his alphabet teaching. He left and the whole school for the alphabet was scrapped. Ever since then, the alphabet eventually disappeared into oblivion even though there had been some effort to revive it, nonetheless, all efforts seemed to fizzle away. Dunging's adopted son, Mr. Bagat Nunui however managed to put whatever was left together into an unpublished manuscript in 1990. It was only later that the alphabet was revived and revitalised by Dr. Bromeley Philip to salvage it from disappearing with times.

Inventor of Iban Alphabet

Dunging Anak Gunggu (1904-1985)

Born and Died at:

Nanga Ulai LongHouse, Debak Sub-District,
Betong Division, Sarawak
East Malaysia.

Married to:

Ini' Danggai.

Adopted Son (His wife's nephew):

Mr. Bagat anak Nunui (Nanga Ulai LongHouse's Headman)