Origins & the first records (14th–16th c.)
Although Sundanese had surely been spoken long before, the earliest secure written evidence is “Old Sundanese” in local inscriptions and palm-leaf manuscripts. The best-known are the Kawali (Astana Gede) inscriptions in Ciamis—stone texts in Old Sundanese language and script, usually dated to the late 1300s and linked to King Niskala Wastu Kancana. Soon after, a small corpus of Old Sundanese literature appears, including the didactic Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian (dated 1518), the historical Carita Parahyangan, and the poetic travel narrative Bujangga Manik (often placed in the late 15th century). These texts show a Hindu-Buddhist cultural milieu, heavy Sanskrit/Old Javanese influence, and a distinct Old Sundanese script derived from the Pallava/Kawi family.
New powers, new scripts (16th–18th c.)
After the fall of the Sunda kingdom (Pakuan Pajajaran) in the late 1500s and the rise of Islamic polities such as Banten and Cirebon, writing practice diversified. Sundanese was increasingly written in Pegon (Arabic-derived script) for religious learning and in a Javanese-derived Cacarakan hand for administration and letters, alongside the older local script. This period left a mixed script legacy across pesantren, courts, and village archives.
Print era, standard language, and Latin letters (19th–mid-20th c.)
Under Dutch colonial schooling and publishing, Latin (Aksara Walanda) steadily became the default writing system for Sundanese. Early grammars/dictionaries and a growing print culture (accelerated by Balai Pustaka) helped stabilize spelling and style. Crucially, the Priangan/“Bandung” dialect was promoted in schools and media as a standard variety (basa lulugu), shaping modern usage across West Java and Banten.
Speech levels and modernization (20th c.)
Like Javanese, Sundanese developed elaborate speech levels (undak-usuk)—traditionally kasar/sedeng/lemes (and finer shades). In 1988, a language congress streamlined public guidance to two broad registers—basa loma (neutral) and basa hormat (respectful)—while everyday practice still shows nuance by context and relationship.
Script revival & digital era (late 20th–21st c.)
From the 1990s, West Java cultural policy and community initiatives revived interest in Sundanese script. A Sundanese Script Congress (Bandung, 1997) and subsequent provincial regulations supported teaching and public visibility. The standardized modern form—Aksara Sunda Baku—was encoded in Unicode 5.1 (2008), enabling fonts, keyboards, and signage; West Java later updated its regulations to maintain and promote regional language, literature, and script. Today you’ll see Latin writing everywhere, with Aksara Sunda on selected signs, cultural materials, and in schools.
Where Sundanese stands now
Sundanese remains one of Indonesia’s biggest regional languages, centered in West Java and Banten with several dialect zones; it’s taught in schools and used in media, literature, and daily life, while research continues to connect modern Sundanese with its Old Sundanese heritage through manuscripts and inscriptions.
A very short timeline
14th–15th c. — Old Sundanese on stone.
The Kawali (Astana Gede) inscriptions from Ciamis are in Old Sundanese language and script and memorialize King Niskala Wastu Kancana. One famous side text reads “hayua diponah-ponah, hayua dicawuh-cawuh” (“do not destroy, do not abuse”).Late 15th–early 16th c. — A literature boom in palm leaf.
Long narrative poems (kakawihan) such as Bujangga Manik survive; the Bodleian Library copy (MS Jav b.3) preserves a classic opening line: “saur sang mahapandita” (“the great sage said”).1518 CE — A dated Old Sundanese handbook.
The didactic prose text Sanghyang Siksakandang Karesian (SSKK) is explicitly dated Saka 1440 (= 1518 CE) and sets out moral/social rules; multiple recensions (e.g., kropak 630 and 624) are known today.17th–19th c. — Script shift under Islam & schooling.
Sundanese gets written widely in Pegon (Arabic-based) and Cacarakan (Javanese-derived) alongside Latin, reflecting pesantren and colonial print cultures.19th–20th c. — Standardization.
The Bandung/Priangan dialect is selected as the standard (basa lulugu) and spread through schools and print during the colonial era and after.Late 20th–21st c. — Script revival & policy.
The modern Sundanese script (Aksara Sunda Baku) was re-standardized and later encoded in Unicode 5.1 (April 2008); West Java also issued a regional by-law to promote language/literature/script.
Dialects & “neighborhood” flavors (just 2 quick peeks)
Priangan (Bandung, Cimahi) — today’s reference variety. Example pairing you’ll hear elsewhere too:
standard/“central”: ogé “also” → reduced colloquially to gé.Pangandaran & Ciamis (southeast coast / east Priangan) — keep the Sundanese base but with local phonology/lexicon quirks documented in coastal speech (e.g., vowel quality and word choices differing from Bandung).
Note: the choice of Priangan/“Bandung” as the printed/school standard is historical policy, not “better linguistics.”
Key manuscripts to know (with tiny quotes)
Kawali I Inscription (c. 14th c., Astana Gede, Ciamis) — political memorial; Old Sundanese script & language.
Short quote: “hayua diponah-ponah, hayua dicawuh-cawuh” → “do not destroy; do not abuse.”Bujangga Manik (late 15th–early 16th c., Bodleian MS Jav b.3) — a pilgrim-poet’s journey across Java.
Short quote: “saur sang mahapandita” → “the great sage said.”Sanghyang Siksakandang Karesian (SSKK) (1518) — moral & social precepts; earliest internally dated Sundanese text.
Sample snippet (from a comparative collation of two recensions): “…ingetkeuneun … ulah pamali ngarana.” → “remember … avoid what is taboo.
(Other essentials include Carita Parahyangan (late 16th c.) and Amanat Galunggung (Ciburuy, Garut) for kingship ethics and history.)
How Sundanese speech-levels feel in casual conversation
Since the 1988 Kongres Basa Sunda and later forums, teaching materials increasingly present two broad levels for daily use: loma (neutral/familiar) and hormat (respectful). In practice, people still use a spectrum, but these two cover most everyday needs.
A. Offering help to an older neighbor
Hormat (respectful):
“Punten, Pak. Abdi badé mios heula ka pasar. Bapak peryogi naon?”
(“Excuse me, sir. I’m about to go to the market. Do you need anything?”)Loma (neutral/friendly):
“A, Akang. Kuring rek indit heula ka pasar. Perlu naon?”
Differences: abdi/badé/mios/peryogi (hormat) vs kuring/rek/indit/perlu (loma).
B. Inviting someone to eat
Hormat: “Mangga, Bapa/ Ibu tuang heula.”
Loma: “Mang, dahar heula atuh.”
Rule of thumb: use honorific verbs for the other person (e.g., tuang “eat”, linggih “sit”, ngapunten “excuse me”); use neutral verbs for yourself (e.g., dahar “eat”, diuk/calik “sit”). For many speakers this maps cleanly to the simplified hormat vs loma scheme taught since 1988.
Tiny manuscript “micro-quotes” (with sources)
Kawali (Astana Gede) inscription, Ciamis — Old Sundanese, c. 14th–15th c.
“hayua diponah-ponah, hayua dicawuh-cawuh; inya neker inya angger, inya ninycak inya rempag.”
“Do not destroy; do not abuse. Those who honor it endure; those who trample it fall.”Bujangga Manik (Bodleian MS Jav b.3) — late 15th–early 16th c.
Opening formula in the poem: “saur sang mahapandita …” (“the great sage said …”). The Bodleian catalog confirms the single palm-leaf copy preserved in Oxford since 1627.Sanghyang Siksakandang Karesian (SSKK) — dated 1518 CE
Dated by the chronogram “nora catur sagara wulan” (= Saka 1440 / 1518 CE) in the kropak 630 manuscript.
Why Priangan became the “school” standard (in one breath)
During the print-school era, publishers and colonial schooling selected and propagated the Bandung/Priangan variety as basa lulugu (standard), shaping modern teaching/media usage across West Java.
Script revival + digital era (what made street signs possible)
Aksara Sunda Baku was re-standardized by local initiatives (incl. a 1997 script congress) and then encoded in Unicode 5.1 (April 2008), enabling fonts, keyboards, and signage.
West Java backed this with policy: Perda Jabar No. 14/2014 (update of No. 5/2003) on maintaining regional language–literature–script. Database Peraturan | JDIH BPKBPHN
Old Sundanese (language, literature, manuscripts)
Three Old Sundanese Poems — J. Noorduyn & A. Teeuw (KITLV/Brill, 2006).
Critical editions and translations of Bujangga Manik, Sanghyang Siksakandang Karesian, and Sri Ajnyana—foundation for early Sundanese language and literature.Carita Parahyangan Sarga — Atja Danasasmita (Yayasan Pembangunan Jawa Barat, 1989).
Used for historical narrative and Old Sundanese prose tradition.Naskah Sunda Lama Kelompok Babad — Edi S. Ekadjati, Wahyu Wibisana, Ade Kosmaya Anggawisastra (Pusat Pembinaan & Pengembangan Bahasa, 1985).
Survey of Sundanese manuscripts (genres, contents)—context for manuscript culture.Naskah Sunda Lama Kelompok Cerita — Edi S. Ekadjati et al. (Pusat Pembinaan & Pengembangan Bahasa, 1983).
Complements the above with narrative manuscripts.
Inscriptions & early written records
Hasan Djafar (monographs & papers on Kawali/Bogor inscriptions) — e.g., Prasasti-Prasasti Kawali di Ciamis, Jawa Barat (var. printings circa 1990s–2000s) and subsequent studies.
Used for readings/background of the Kawali corpus and West Java epigraphy.
Script history & standardization (Sundanese script, Pegon/Cacarakan, Unicode)
Aksara Sunda — Undang Ahmad Darsa (ed.) et al. (Dinas Kebudayaan & Pariwisata Prov. Jawa Barat, 2007).
Authoritative handbook on the history, shapes, and revival of the Sundanese script.Direktori Aksara Sunda untuk Unicode — Tim Unicode Aksara Sunda (2008).
Practical directory documenting the encoding work and implementation.The Unicode Standard, Version 5.1 — The Unicode Consortium (2008).
Defines the Sundanese block U+1B80–U+1BBF (and later Supplement).(For mixed script usage in Sundanese manuscripts—Sunda Kuno, Jawa/Cacarakan, Pegon, Latin—see Darsa’s treatments summarized in later work.)
Grammars, dictionaries, and speech levels (modern period)
Tata Bahasa Sunda (Indonesian translation of D.K. Ardiwinata’s 1916/1917 Élmuning Basa Soenda) — translated/edited by Ayatrohaedi (Balai Pustaka, 1984).
Early native grammar tradition; used for historical grammar and codification context.Undak-usuk Basa Sunda — R. Satjadibrata (Balai Pustaka, 1956).
Classic account of Sundanese speech levels and politeness system.Kamus Basa Sunda / Kamus (Sunda–Indonesia) — R. Satjadibrata (various eds., 1950s onward).
Lexicographic backbone for standard vocabulary.Tata Basa Sunda Kiwari — Yayat Sudaryat, Abud Prawirasumantri, Karna Yudibrata (Yrama Widya, 2007).
Modern reference grammar; helpful for today’s standard (“lulugu”) vs. regional usage.
Dialects & “bahasa lulugu” (standard)
Geografi/Dialektologi studies — various volumes by Pusat Pembinaan & Pengembangan Bahasa (late 1970s–1980s), e.g. Geografi Dialek Bahasa Sunda di Kabupaten Ciamis (Dudu Prawiraatmaja et al., 1979).
Used for dialect distribution across West Java.Dialektologi: Sebuah Pengantar — Ayatrohaedi (Pusat Pembinaan & Pengembangan Bahasa, 1983).
Methodology context for mapping Sundanese dialects.Notes on the adoption of Bandung/Priangan as “basa lulugu” (standard) trace back to colonial-era policy and later educational practice; see references to 1912 standardization and subsequent summaries.
Colonial-era and missionary works (useful historical baselines)
Soendaneesche Spraakkunst — S. Coolsma (A.W. Sijthoff, 1904).
Early descriptive grammar of Sundanese.
Cultural-historical syntheses
Kebudayaan Sunda (2 vols.) — Edi S. Ekadjati (Pustaka Jaya, 2005).
Broad cultural history that situates language, literature, and script in West Java’s past.
bibliography
Ardiwinata, D. K. (1984). Tata bahasa Sunda. Balai Pustaka. (Indo. translation/adaptation of Élmuning Basa Soenda, 1916–1917, by Ayatrohaedi.)
Ayatrohaedi. (1983). Dialektologi: Sebuah pengantar. Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Coolsma, S. (1904). Soendaneesche spraakkunst. A. W. Sijthoff.
Danasasmita, A. (1989). Carita Parahyangan Sarga. Yayasan Pembangunan Jawa Barat.
Darsa, U. A. (Ed.). (2007). Aksara Sunda. Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Provinsi Jawa Barat.
Djafar, H. (n.d.). Prasasti-prasasti Kawali di Ciamis, Jawa Barat. (Monograph/essays on the Kawali inscriptions; publication details vary—please verify the exact edition you use.)
Ekadjati, E. S. (2005). Kebudayaan Sunda: Suatu pendekatan sejarah (Vols. 1–2). Pustaka Jaya.
Ekadjati, E. S., Wibisana, W., & Anggawisastra, A. K. (1985). Naskah Sunda lama: Kelompok babad. Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Ekadjati, E. S., et al. (1983). Naskah Sunda lama: Kelompok cerita. Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Noorduyn, J., & Teeuw, A. (2006). Three Old Sundanese poems. KITLV Press.
Prawiraatmaja, D., et al. (1979). Geografi dialek bahasa Sunda di Kabupaten Ciamis. Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.
Satjadibrata, R. (1956). Undak-usuk basa Sunda. Balai Pustaka.
Satjadibrata, R. (various eds.). Kamus bahasa Sunda. (Multiple reprints; note the edition and publisher you consult.)
Sudaryat, Y., Prawirasumantri, A., & Yudibrata, K. (2007). Tata basa Sunda kiwari. Yrama Widya.
The Unicode Consortium. (2008). The Unicode Standard, Version 5.1.0. The Unicode Consortium. (Sundanese block U+1B80–U+1BBF.)
