Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone
The Singapore Stone was a sandstone with around 50 lines of inscription, but was blown up in 1843. A fragment of the original stone now lies in the National Museum of Singapore. Three legends in the Sejarah Melayu detail possible origins of the Stone. This study is a methodical attempt at decipherin...
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Format: | Final Year Project (FYP) |
Language: | English |
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Nanyang Technological University
2019
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76546 |
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author | Chua, Sock Hui |
author2 | Perono Cacciafoco Francesco |
author_facet | Perono Cacciafoco Francesco Chua, Sock Hui |
author_sort | Chua, Sock Hui |
collection | NTU |
description | The Singapore Stone was a sandstone with around 50 lines of inscription, but was blown up in 1843. A fragment of the original stone now lies in the National Museum of Singapore. Three legends in the Sejarah Melayu detail possible origins of the Stone. This study is a methodical attempt at deciphering the Singapore Stone and comprises a fieldwork at the nearby Karimun Besar with a deciphered inscription. By examining the legends on Badang and Sang Ranjuna Tupa and the historical-geographical background of Singapore, this paper postulates that the unknown script could be the Kalinga script from Kling or Kawi script used in Java. Comparisons of the inscription on the fragment with the Kalinga and Kawi scripts yield no results due to the lack of available information. However, certain phonetic values of the Kawi script can be assigned to signs on the fragment, but reading does not mean understanding. The fieldwork showed that the legend associated with the landscape features is passed on although information on the Karimun Inscription remains unknown amongst the locals. This study also serves as a starting point for the decipherment of the Singapore Stone, and further research can look into finding the other fragments sent to Calcutta. |
first_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:26:34Z |
format | Final Year Project (FYP) |
id | ntu-10356/76546 |
institution | Nanyang Technological University |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:26:34Z |
publishDate | 2019 |
publisher | Nanyang Technological University |
record_format | dspace |
spelling | ntu-10356/765462020-04-30T05:07:24Z Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone Chua, Sock Hui Perono Cacciafoco Francesco School of Humanities fcacciafoco@ntu.edu.sg DRNTU::Humanities DRNTU::Humanities::Linguistics The Singapore Stone was a sandstone with around 50 lines of inscription, but was blown up in 1843. A fragment of the original stone now lies in the National Museum of Singapore. Three legends in the Sejarah Melayu detail possible origins of the Stone. This study is a methodical attempt at deciphering the Singapore Stone and comprises a fieldwork at the nearby Karimun Besar with a deciphered inscription. By examining the legends on Badang and Sang Ranjuna Tupa and the historical-geographical background of Singapore, this paper postulates that the unknown script could be the Kalinga script from Kling or Kawi script used in Java. Comparisons of the inscription on the fragment with the Kalinga and Kawi scripts yield no results due to the lack of available information. However, certain phonetic values of the Kawi script can be assigned to signs on the fragment, but reading does not mean understanding. The fieldwork showed that the legend associated with the landscape features is passed on although information on the Karimun Inscription remains unknown amongst the locals. This study also serves as a starting point for the decipherment of the Singapore Stone, and further research can look into finding the other fragments sent to Calcutta. Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Multilingual Studies 2019-03-26T02:56:22Z 2019-03-26T02:56:22Z 2018 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76546 en Nanyang Technological University 52 p. application/pdf Nanyang Technological University |
spellingShingle | DRNTU::Humanities DRNTU::Humanities::Linguistics Chua, Sock Hui Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title | Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title_full | Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title_fullStr | Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title_full_unstemmed | Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title_short | Crypto-linguistics in Singapore : deciphering the Singapore Stone |
title_sort | crypto linguistics in singapore deciphering the singapore stone |
topic | DRNTU::Humanities DRNTU::Humanities::Linguistics |
url | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76546 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT chuasockhui cryptolinguisticsinsingaporedecipheringthesingaporestone |