An Indonesian tribe has named Korean Hangul its official alphabet in order to save its language from extinction.
The language of the Cia-Cia people, like that of most Indonesian tribes, has never been written down, a fact that does not bode well for its preservation.
The idea to adopt a foreign alphabet came when the Hunminjeongeum Society, an academic group dedicated to the Hangul language of South Korea, approached the Mayor of Baubau, on the island of Buton, off the Sulawesi coast.
The proposal was welcomed, and months later, up to three quarters of students in Baubau are reportedly writing fluently using the alphabet. Hangul was chosen because, unlike the Arabic and Latin alphabets, its sounds perfectly match the Cia-Cia language.
Nine representatives from the tribe visited Seoul last week to commemorate the historic occasion. Sixteen-year-old high school student Fitriana said she was "very elated being in South Korea."
Koreans are elated, too. The country has historically taken great pride in its language, but attempts to export its 15th-century alphabet internationally have usually failed.
"It all seems like a dream," said Chun Tai-hyun, Vice-President of the Hunminjeongeum Society. "I had thought that Hangul was just a pride of Koreans. Now it appears that Hangul is an alphabet that the Cia-Cia tribe can also be proud of."
The South Korean Wonam Foundation has also pledged funds to build a centre in Baubau, celebrating the history and culture of the Cia-Cia tribe, which numbers 60,000. It will open in 2010, depending on government approval.
27 December 2009
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