Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) Research Lecture PDF

LAGUNA COPPERLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI) KURT ZEUS L. DIZON RESEARCH LECTURE LAGUNA  Provides us with an understanding of early pre-colonial Philippine COPPERPLATE society (social, cultural, economic and political dimension). (LCI)  Offers a background on the origin and ev...

LAGUNA COPPERLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI) KURT ZEUS L. DIZON RESEARCH LECTURE LAGUNA  Provides us with an understanding of early pre-colonial Philippine COPPERPLATE society (social, cultural, economic and political dimension). (LCI)  Offers a background on the origin and evolution of Filipino RELEVANCE IN dialects.  Provides and suggest possible toponym of places in Southern and STUDYING Central Luzon. HISTORY   The plate was found in 1989 by a laborer (Ernesto Legisma) near the mouth of the Lumbang River in Wawa barangay, Lumban municipality, Laguna province. DISCOVERY  The inscription, written in a mix of the Old Malay language using the Old Kawi script, was first deciphered by Dutch anthropologist and Hanunó'o script expert Antoon Postma in 1992.   Document dated itself to the Saka year 822, an old Hindu calendar date which corresponds to 900 AD (during the reign of King Balitung of Central Java). “Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to DATE AND the astronomer: the fourth day of the dark half of the moon; on PROVENANCE Monday.” ***The lunar calendar used is the Hindu Saka calendar. It is used as one of the official calendar in India and Nepal, widely used still since the festivals have dates in this calendar and was started in 78 AD. There are older calendars too like the ones used by jains that starts in 600 BC.  Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March–April according to the astronomer: the fourth day of the dark half of the moon; on Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name, the child of His Honor Namwaran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of Tundun representing the Leader of Pailah, Jayadewa. This means that His Honor Namwaran, through the Honorable Scribe was totally cleared of a salary-related debt of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold): in the presence of His Honor the Leader of Puliran, Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, representing Ganashakti; (and) His Honor the Leader of Binuangan, representing Bisruta. And, with his whole family, on orders of the Chief of Dewata representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants of his Honor Namwaran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document) is (issued) in case there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...   LCI is suggested to be a semi-official certificate of acquittal of a debt.  The inscription presents the release of its bearers, the children of Namwaran, from a debt in gold amounting to 1 kati and 8 suwarna. “At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name, The child of His Honor Namwaran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of CONTENT Tundun.” ANALYSIS  The recording of these names suggests that there was some sort of political and social organization in the Philippines of the 10th century AD. “His Honor the Leader of Puliran, Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, representing Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader of Binwangan, representing Bisruta.”   The authenticity of the LCI was questioned due to the pattern that the other copper-plates that where discovered with the same era/date, mentions the name of the King. CONTEXTUAL  It was later proved that the LCI is authentic since the inscription ANALYSIS used is consistent with the language and script used existed during the 9th to 10th century.  SCRIPTS AND LANGUAGE ANALYSIS Old Malay Brahmin Pallava Kawi Old Script Script Script Tagalog Old Javanese Line Transliteration by Hector Santos (1995) Preliminary translation by Antoon Postma (1992) Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March–April swasti shaka warshatita 822 waisakha masa 1 according to the astronomer: the fourth day of the dark half ding jyotisha. chaturthi krishnapaksha so- of the moon; on -mawara sana tatkala dayang angkatan lawan dengannya Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her 2 sanak barngaran si bukah relative, Bukah by name, the child of His Honor Namwaran, was given, as a special anakda dang hwan namwaran di bari waradana wi 3 favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and shuddhapat(t)ra ulih sang pamegat senapati di tundu- Commander of Tundun n barja(di) dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah jayadewa. di krama representing the Leader of Pailah, Jayadewa. This means 4 dang hwan namwaran dengan dang kaya- that His Honor Namwaran, through the Honorable Scribe was totally cleared of a salary-related debt of 1 kati and 8 stha shuddha nu di parlappas hutangda wale(da)nda kati 1 5 suwarna (weight of gold): in the presence of His Honor the suwarna 8 di hadapan dang hwan nayaka tuhan pu- Leader of Puliran, liran ka sumuran. dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah barjadi Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, representing 6 ganashakti. dang hwan nayaka tu- Ganashakti; (and) His Honor the Leader han binuangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadanda sanak of Binuangan, representing Bisruta. And, with his whole 7 kaparawis ulih sang pamegat de- family, on orders of the Chief of Dewata wata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat medang dari bhaktinda di representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a 8 parhulun sang pamegat. ya makanya sadanya anak subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants chuchu dang hwan namwaran shuddha ya kaparawis di of his Honor Namwaran have been cleared of the whole 9 hutangda dang hwan namwaran di sang pamegat dewata. ini debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This gerang (document) is (issued) in case syat syapanta ha pashchat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who 10 urang barujara welung lappas hutangda dang hwa... will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...  Cognate Words exist in Old Malay and Present Filipino  Hutang (Utang)  Sadanda (tanan/all in tagalog)  Dayang  Si  Bayar (bayad)  Ngaran/barngaran (pangalan)  Namamahay  Lapas (labas) LINGUISTIC  Hadapan (harapan)  Anak/sanak ANALYSIS  Adda (ada –Ilocano)  Pamagat  Welung (wala)  Ari (araw)  Makanya (kanya)  Lappas (labas)  Barujara (ba dya/ to say in  Nayaka (na syang) tagalog)  Names/Surnames that exist in the LCI which are still being used today Catálogo Alfabético De Apellidos, 1844- 1849 by Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS  Names/Surnames that exist in the LCI which are still being used today Old Malay Hispanized  Angkatan  Angcatan  Bukah  Buca  Dewata  Diwata LINGUISTIC  Pailah  Paela  Puliran  Pulilan ANALYSIS  Tundo  Tondo LINGUISTIC TOPONYM ANALYSIS Old Malay Possible present place-name  Paila  Pila, Laguna  Puliran  Pulilan Shore, Laguna  Binwangan  Binwangan, Bulacan  Tundon  Tondo  Bukah  Gatbuca, Pampanga   Antoon Postma (1992)The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary. Philippine Studies vol. 40, no. 2 (1992): 183–203 Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University REFERENCE  https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/laguna- copperplate-inscription-ancient-text-changed-perception-history- 020630 THANK YOU!