Buginese Letter Ca

Its built-in vowel is a unless a vowel sign changes it. In Lontara, ᨌ by itself represents the syllable transcribed in Latin letters as ca. The spellings ᨌᨗ and ᨌᨙ are transcribed as ci and ce; these syllables occur within words and have no standalone meaning.

Why is ᨌ part of Lontara?

It belongs to a South Sulawesi writing tradition. Lontara is attested by the 14th century in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs to the Brahmic family of scripts, whose members share historical ancestry; its route likely passed through Java or Kawi, an older Javanese script. Its local development remains debated. Lontara was used to write Bugis, Makasar and Mandar and shares features with Old Makasar, a related but separate script.

One historical account links its development to durable records of family lines. Surviving texts also record ownership, values, court history and religious works. Its angular forms may reflect writing on palm leaves; Lontara also appears on paper, silver, pottery and in print.

As of 2026, Latin is used for most ordinary publishing, while Lontara continues in ceremonial and personal writing.