Arakanese spelling book 90% complete, needs funds for publishing

By DMG 08 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
8 July 2022, Sittwe

The writing of an Arakanese spelling book is about 90 percent complete, but funds are still needed to publish the book.

The Arakanese Literature Development Foundation has been writing the spelling resource as a reference book for Arakanese literature.

The foundation estimates that it will cost up to K4 million to publish the book, and as the foundation is lacking in funds, it is difficult to tell when the book can be published, said writer Naung Aye, who is head of the committee preparing the Arakanese spelling book.

“We need 3 to 4 million kyats to publish the book. So, we don’t know when we will be able to publish it. The book is now 90 percent complete,” the writer told DMG.

The committee — made up of 13 Buddhist monks as patrons and 16 writers — was formed in 2019 with a view to ensuring correct Arakanese spelling, uniformity in writing and correct usage. The spelling book is based on dialects from all the townships across Arakan State, said Naung Aye.

“People, regardless of their education and knowledge about the Arakanese language, are using different spellings that they think are right. So, we have to make the spellings uniform,” explained the writer.

Another writer, Maung Mayu (Buthidaung), told DMG that he hopes the spelling book will contribute a great deal to the development of Arakanese literature.

“The spelling book will be extremely beneficial for Arakanese literati. Because of a lack of spelling books, people spell words as they like, and insist that their spellings are right and others’ are wrong. The spelling book will solve those problems,” he said. “Accents widely vary from one place to another in Arakan State. So spellings are different as a result. It would be best if a spelling book that is acceptable to all emerges.”

The foundation said upon completion of the book, it will consult with persons of letters from Arakan State to finalise it for publishing.