Makasar letter ba

It is the Makasar ba syllable, not a complete word. Makasar is an abugida, a writing system in which each consonant letter carries an inherent “a” vowel. So 𑻤 reads as ba unless a vowel sign changes that vowel.

The Makasar script, also called the Makassarese bird script and ukiri' jangang-jangang, served official purposes in the kingdoms of South Sulawesi during the 17th century and recorded accounts such as the Gowa and Talloq chronicles. The earliest surviving Makasar writing on paper identified in scholarship is signatures on the Treaty of Bungaya in 1667; eighteenth-century manuscripts also preserve Gowa and Talloq chronicle material.

How is Makasar connected to Rejang and Buginese?

Makasar is thought to have evolved from Rejang. It also shares several similarities with Buginese. These are connections between writing traditions, not evidence that their letters are interchangeable.

Buginese writing superseded Makasar in the 19th century.

What changes when a vowel sign follows 𑻤?

A vowel sign changes the syllable’s vowel, not its b consonant. In written order, a Makasar vowel sign follows the base letter.

A font may draw that sign beside or around the base. If the font lacks Makasar coverage, the glyph may appear as a square instead.

Makasar spelling does not mark syllable-final consonants. The surrounding spelling and word context supply a fuller reading.