Of traditional scripts and transitions to Latin script

I remember reading in a Lonely Planet guide for Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia that once you travel to these countries it becomes obvious why this region is called Indo-China. It had added that the physical boundary between Laos and Cambodia on one side and Vietnam on the other acts almost like a social boundary between India and China. Traditionally there has been a lot of Indian influence in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, and Chinese influence in Vietnam.

The first signs of this influence are seen in the scripts of these countries.

Take a look at the script of Lao, Cambodia ,and Thailand – they are derived from the Pali script. The first time I landed in Thailand and saw the signboards, I thought I was reading a South Indian language.

Now take a look at the traditional Vietnamese script (Chu-nom script ). Do you see the Chinese influence?

But wait. I am getting carried away. I recently traveled from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to Vientiane (Laos) by Vietnam Airlines. When I picked up the in-flight magazine, I realized that Vietnamese in the magazine was written in the Latin script. I was initially taken back. My Japanese co-passenger helped clear my confusion. The Vietnamese have abandoned their traditional script and adopted the Latin script. I found this interesting.

I remember picking up an “about Malaysia” booklet in the Changi airport last year. I was intrigued by the fact that Malaysian in the booklet was written in the Latin script. My friends in Singapore told me that Malaysia had supposedly adopted the Latin script to come closer to the world community.

Turkey has moved on the same path, albeit earlier. Back in the 1920s they moved away from Arabic script to the Latin script.

Indonesia seems to have adopted the Latin script too. They speak the Bahasa language, but use the Latin script for writing.

What do other countries, where English is not necessarily widely spoken, do to come closer to the world community?

China is an economic powerhouse and you need to know Mandarin to work there (probably except in Hongkong). Brazil is a growing economy and Portuguese is the official language there - I hear even at work Portuguese is widely used.

Different countries seem to have approached “coming closer to the world community” differently.

-

Sourav