Avoiuli (from Raga avoi 'talk about' and uli 'draw' or 'paint') is a writing system used by the Turaga indigenous movement on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu . It was devised by Chief Viraleo Boborenvanua over a 14-year period, based on designs found in traditional sand drawings , and intended as a native alternative to the Latin alphabet . It is used mainly for writing in the area's native Raga language , although it can also be used for other languages including Apma , Bislama and English .
13-499: The Avoiuli alphabet comprises characters equivalent to the letters A – Z , decimal numerals and other symbols, including a range of currency symbols representing the livatu and specific items of traditional value such as pigs and dyed mats. Like the Western orthography used to write Raga , it represents the velar nasal ng and prenasalised consonant ngg using modified forms of the letters n and g respectively, but represents
26-613: A variant of *nipen / *ŋipen (compare Samoan nifo and Tagalog ngipin ). Vatu derives from Proto-Oceanic *patu , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and Proto-Austronesian *batu (compare Malay batu , Samoan fatu and Tagalog bato ). In September 2014, the Gaogogona Destiny Reserve System, an institution of the Turaga movement, announced plans to issue paper banknotes, referred to as tuvatu , to be used as an "indigenous currency". ( Tuvatu refers to
39-703: Is a unit used by the Turaga indigenous movement and the Tangbunia Bank in Vanuatu to reckon the worth of items of traditional currency such as pigs and textiles. One livatu is equivalent to one fully curved boar's tusk, a symbolic item of value in Vanuatu culture. Long dyed mats, a less valuable item of exchange, are worth up to a half a livatu. According to Chief Viraleo, manager of the Tangbunia Bank,
52-465: The labiovelar consonants bw , mw and vw using digraphs . Although in some respects it is a relatively straightforward imitation of the Latin alphabet , Avoiuli has a few distinctive features. Like the sand drawings on which it is based, Avoiuli words are designed to be formed in a single stroke. The script can be written either left-to-right or right-to-left (with the letter shapes reversed, though
65-539: The Government on banking and monetary matters; Promote monetary stability; Promote a sound financial structure; Foster financial conditions conducive to the orderly and balanced economic development of Vanuatu, and To regulate and supervise domestic and international (offshore) banks. It is active in promoting financial inclusion policy and a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. Appointments to
78-682: The Reserve Bank Act was intended only to prohibit counterfeiting of vatu, and that the tuvatu is an expression of the right to pursue traditional customs which is enshrined in the Vanuatuan constitution. Reserve Bank of Vanuatu The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu is the central bank of Vanuatu (an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean ). It was initially known as the Central Bank of Vanuatu after
91-474: The Western economic system undervalues local people's traditional assets. The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu has stated that it does not recognise the tuvatu as a currency and warned that those using it risk prosecution, since Section 17.1 of the Reserve Bank Act gives the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu the sole right to issue coins and banknotes in Vanuatu. Turaga dispute this interpretation of the law, arguing that
104-748: The majority are symmetrical anyway). It is intended to be written in boustrophedon style, with alternating lines of left-to-right and right-to-left writing, but it is common for it to follow the left-to-right convention of the Latin script. Capital letters in Avoiuli are similar to lowercase but are enlarged and drawn around a + shaped 'frame', a feature also seen in traditional sand drawings. Capital letters are not used much in everyday writing. Students learn to write in Avoiuli at Turaga's traditional school at Lavatmanggemu in north-eastern Pentecost, and at affiliated 'custom schools', paying substantial school fees for
117-764: The nation's independence from France and the United Kingdom. The bank began operations on 1 January 1981 and was initially responsible for currency exchange. It established the Vatu as the national currency to replace the circulation of the New Hebrides franc and Australian dollar . The bank also replaced the role of the Banque Indosuez Vanuatu. The institution's name was changed to the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu in May 1989 and its responsibility over
130-525: The national banking industry was expanded. The functions, powers and responsibilities of the RBV are specified in the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu Act [CAP 125] of 1980. The specific purposes of the RBV as spelled out in Section 3 of the Reserve Bank Act are to: Regulate the issue, supply, availability and international exchange of money; Supervise and regulate banking business and the extension of credit; Advise
143-491: The paper money, while livatu refers to traditional items of value such as pig's tusks.) Sample designs have been issued, in denominations ranging from 1 tuvatu to 1000 tuvatu. Once in circulation these are intended to be interchangeable with the vatu , Vanuatu's normal currency, at a rate of 20,000 vatu to the tuvatu. Compared with the vatu coins and notes currently in circulation in Vanuatu, these banknotes represent extremely large amounts of money, reflecting Turaga's belief that
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#1732787836844156-654: The privilege. Avoiuli is also used in record-keeping by the Tangbunia indigenous bank . [REDACTED] The letters of Avoiuli script. In the official Latin orthography, the 'NG' and 'NGG' shown here are written ⟨N̄⟩ and ⟨Ḡ⟩ . The Avoiuli digraphs 'BW', 'VW' and 'MW' parallel the Latin convention. There are letters to transliterate the rest of the basic Latin script, as well as additional vowels for other languages of Vanuatu. [REDACTED] The numerals of Avoiuli script. There are also numerals for higher numbers. Livatu The Livatu
169-446: The value of 1 livatu is fixed at 18,000 vatu (approximately US$ 160 ). This approximately reflects the price for which tusks sell in the markets of Port Vila . Account holders at the bank can make transfers and write cheques in livatu. The word livatu is a compound derived from Raga livo "tooth, tusk" and vatu "stone". Livo derives from Proto-Oceanic *lipon , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and Proto-Austronesian *lipen ,
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