Baybayin (; pre-kudlit: , post-kudlit: ) (known in Unicode as Tagalog alphabet; see below), known in Visayan as badlit , is an ancient Philippine script derived from Brahmic scripts of India and first recorded in the 16th century. It continued to be used during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines up until the late 19th century. The alphabet is well known because it was carefully documented by Catholic clergy living in the Philippines during the colonial era.