An introduction to Shan literacy and script
by Nang San
(edited and published by KNL)
-------------------
*Note/thank you*: I have to thank the wonderfully diligent and insightful Nang San for this post. This is an excerpt from a preliminary essay by her on Shan literacy, scripts and fonts. Any mistakes, abominable grammar or overall shoddy writing found in this post are entirely my fault. A post on Shan fonts and their applications will follow.
-------------------
Shan literacy has, in my estimation, a good chance of survival despite the low and dropping population of Shan speakers. While many residents of Shan State - which includes Shan and non-Shan people - learn to read and write Shan as children (see David Bradley's section - Kengtung in 1993), many do not consider the language important and rarely practice it; for most, any study of, knowledge of and proficiency in it are all too soon forgotten. There also remains a fundamental question of which dialect of Shan (and representative script) is used, as there are several derivations and interpretations. These problems, coupled with others, have manifested into a deepening conundrum about the language, script(s), literacy and, more importantly, the future of Shan. The following post will focus on these issues with relation to the Shan script(s), literacy and their future.

The History and Development of the Shan Script

This text by Sai Kam Mong is the vade mecum on Shan script and an excellent resource of its history. Despite several ambiguities, particularly in labelling images and a lack of uniform romanisation (a limitation that can confuse readers), the text is a groundbreaking tool and invaluable for its thoroughness and in-depth research.

According to Sai Kam Mong, only one tone-mark, which is similar to those used in Burmese, appears in Shan writing. Burmese script uses tone-markers for two tones (the creaky tone, presented with a . (period) and the high tone with a : (colon) to indicate specializations within the three standard tones of Burmese. The unmarked low tone can cause some confusion between the tone-markers and a half-tone, which occurs when a character follows the negative ma and the creaky tone -a. However, as Shan has five tones, using only two tone markers leaves significant space for confusion. In addition, some vowel sounds were combined into one symbol.

These and other issues hamper Shan literacy, further illustrating the inability of the script to represent nuances of the Shan language. This situation produced in a script reform movement of experts who devised a variety of scripts that were released into the intellectual arena. The competing scripts are complete - in the broadest sense - as they represent every aspect of sound and tones in the Shan language. Some script experts went farther than others, developing characters to represent Burmese sounds (not regularly used in Shan); creating and implementing more traditional and clearer tone marker; and considering the appropriate placement(s) of such markers. Despite the script surge, many have been forgotten due to lack of use. In retrospect, though the creativity of such work is appreciated, persistent confusion remains and is not welcome. It is hoped that Shan script scholars and patrons will work together to incorporate their ideas into a comprehensive standard script – possibly through the official acceptance of the Tiger Head script, the most common in Shan literature - or a series of scripts to unite Shan language learning, instruction, publishing and common usage.

The Tiger Head script

A Shan script called the Tiger Head – an emblem on all official Shan educational materials - was chosen and set as the standard script for a set of school textbooks on various subjects in Shan State in the early 1960's; this continued until the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Shan language educational materials were completed and ready for distribution at schools throughout Shan State by 1962. This, however, was not to happen. General Ne Win's coup forced the postponement (and ultimate halt) of all Shan-vernacular education projects (see Section 7.4: Banning Shan script in Shan State), and the texts were never implemented. They have yet to be reinstated.

The Tiger Head script is the most commonly taught script in monasteries, within families and by volunteer teachers throughout Shan State and beyond; it is also the most commonly used script in Shan language books and magazines. However, in the far-east of Shan State, the Khün script is preferred, while other teachers may be teaching a different script based individual preference. Other branches of the Tai language family (such as Tai Dam, Tai Lue, Tai Long and others) also have their own scripts, including those used in China which have experienced several reforms and are (increasingly) distinct. I recently discovered several books published in Khün, as well as texts in several scripts other than Tiger Head, which were being used widely, particularly for calendars, posters, announcements and other public materials. The variety of scripts, while illustrating Shan’s orthographic diversity, lead me to believe that, despite Tiger Head being branded the 'standard script' by some, the use of a script is likely to depend on personal preference, location and intention. Further research and collaboration is essential to understanding this phenomenon.

The perfect script

It would be interesting to hear different perspectives on the various scripts and their usage. Sao Kam Mong has written that the Khün script is the most perfect for Shan - in part because tones are intrinsic to the writing and do not require separate markers – but I believe that, for learning ease, the separate half-tone marker is an important feature, particularly for Shan language learners without photographic memories. Several other scripts use tone markers clearly represented in printed materials, but which may be hard to distinguish in handwriting; many, including myself, may not be able to distinguish an a ; from a : in the current system(s), particularly when reading handwritten text. At present, I do not believe that there is a single, perfect script for Shan; I do, however, strongly feel that further discussion on this is necessary.

Shan literacy

Many Shan people and other Shan speakers often learn a single script; this was and remains a common situation for Shan students during the showdown period of the early 1960s or, more recently, because of teacher preference and/or regional and dialectal isolation. These scripts, however, do not vary greatly: nearly all consonants are standardised and the general writing principles are alike. Despite these similarities, literate Shan people – largely those who can read the Tiger Head script – approach reading with some uncertainty and (regularly) employ guesswork when reading; it is not unheard of for literate people to, when confronted with an unfamiliar script, merely deduce or guess the meaning of a written passage then to actually read each word. This is a worrying, but not entirely desperate, situation. More research is needed into why such apparent confusion occurs, and how such people could be encouraged to build upon their important, fundamental understanding. Half the battle – learning a script – has been won by some; the next step is to help those individuals become competent in or, at the very least, understand another script(s) to help bring a sense of uniformity among the Shan people and their literature.

Conclusion

The long-term prospects for continued, or even improved, literacy in Shan are unknown should present conditions, including the multiple script confusion, persist. However, despite the severity of the literary climate, all is not lost - there are several present phenomenon, including the use of computers, that may ensure (and even encourage) the use of Shan writing in the future. This and other issues may, through support and popularity, help ease and even promote understanding of Shan within and outside Shan State. The most central issues in need of consideration include:

1. the ease and continued creation of new fonts for computer use (and their impact on literacy);
2. the widening variety of fonts and their availability (often free through the internet) to promote Shan; and
3. the growing popularity of karaoke, which provides young people with the opportunity to learn and practice reading through VCDs, which are available for sale.

Addendum (KNL)

If the Shan script(s) is to continue and literacy to remain (or even spread), these and other issues need to be considered carefully and, more importantly, discussed across the spectrum of Shan script experts, educators, users, learners and academics; it is only through such discussion that some semblance of uniformity can be achieved. The growth in Shan is warmly welcomed (and actively encouraged by groups such as ourselves), though, I believe, this can only be maintained through standardisation. Such measures, in addition to continued efforts by dedicated researchers like Nang San, are needed to nurture strong script roots, which will, in tandem, strengthen Shan use now and into the future.
-------------------
Once again, many thanks to Nang San for her insightful and informative article on Shan scripts and literacy. As she has mentioned (and I regularly reiterate), any comments, questions and considerations on this or any other Shan topic/issue/theme are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and until next time,

Khun Naw Liang