Malagasy language

Malagasy is a special language spoken by around 25 million people, mostly in the country of Madagascar. It is one of the two official languages of Madagascar, along with French. This language is very unique because it is the westernmost member of a group of languages called Austronesian, which originally came from places far away, like the Sunda Islands, many hundreds of years ago.

The Malagasy language has many different forms, called dialects, spoken in various parts of Madagascar. One of these dialects, called Merina, is used as the basis for Standard Malagasy, which is used in schools, government, and news. Today, Malagasy is written with the Latin letters we use in many languages around the world, but long ago it was written in a different style called Sorabe, which was based on the Arabic script.

Because of its history and the many people who speak it, Malagasy is very important in Madagascar. It helps connect people from different areas and keeps the culture and history of the island alive.

Classification

The Malagasy language is the westernmost member of the Austronesian language family, which is closely related to the Western Indonesian languages.

People have noticed similarities between Malagasy and Eastern Sumatran (Malay) since the 1600s. Early scholars, like the Dutch scholar Adriaan Reland in 1708, also studied Malagasy’s connections to other Austronesian languages.

Studies show that Malagasy is especially closely related to Maʼanyan Dayak, a language spoken in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia). There are also some influences from Bantu languages and a few words from Sanskrit, which likely came through Javanese.

The many dialects of Malagasy do not always match the genetic backgrounds of the people who speak them. For example, the Merina people, who often have a lot of Austronesian ancestry, sometimes use words from African languages. On the other hand, some coastal groups, with less Asian ancestry, use different words that are not found in Merina language.

Etymology

Malagasy is the name used for both the people and the language of Madagascar. The word "Malagasy" comes from the name of the country itself.

History

Further information: Documentation of the Malagasy language

Madagascar was first settled by people from Maritime Southeast Asia, especially from the Sunda Islands. They likely traveled across the Indian Ocean, possibly stopping in the Maldives along the way. These early settlers brought their language with them, which evolved into what we now call Malagasy. The Malagasy language is closely related to languages from Southeast Asia, particularly the Ma'anyan language, and includes many words from Malay and Javanese.

Over time, the original settlers mixed with people from other groups, such as Bantu and Arab communities. The Malagasy language has a rich tradition of storytelling and poetry, with one famous example being the epic tale of Ibonia, a beloved folk hero.

Geographic distribution

Malagasy is the main language spoken on the island of Madagascar. People who speak Malagasy also live on nearby islands such as Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius. You can also find Malagasy-speaking communities in places like Europe and North America.

Legal status

The Merina dialect of Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar. It is one of two official languages, along with French, according to the 2010 constitution of the Fourth Republic. Before that, the 2007 constitution listed Malagasy, French, and English as official languages. In schools, Malagasy is used to teach all subjects up to grade five, and it is also used for history and the Malagasy language classes in high school.

Dialects

In the past, people have tried to organize the Malagasy language into different groups. One early example is from a book written in 1658. The writer split Malagasy into two main groups: northern and southern. He noticed that words could change between these areas. For example, the word for "woman" or "girl" was "ampela" in the south but "vaiavy" in the north. Words for family also changed, like "baba" for "father" in the north and "ray" in the south.

The way people say sounds can also change. Some dialects share sounds, like the [ts] sound in the word for "white," which is "fotsy." But in other areas, this sound changes to [t], making the word "foty."

Malagasy dialects are often split into three big groups: Northern, Central-Eastern, and Southern. Northern dialects are influenced by other languages like Swahili and French. The way they say some vowel sounds is different from other groups. Southern dialects keep older sounds and have number words that are said in a special way.

Writing system

The Malagasy language has been written for a long time, going back to at least the 1500s. When French people arrived in the 1600s, they found a special Arabic-style writing called Sorabe, used mostly for magic and stars.

Today, Malagasy uses the regular letters we know, like A, B, and C, but only 21 of them. Some letters change sounds a little, and there are special marks above some letters to help with reading, like in French or Italian. These marks help show which sound a word has and can make words easier to understand.

Diacritics

Special marks above letters, called diacritics, help make sure words are read correctly. For example, tanàna means “city,” while tanana means “hand.” These marks are not always needed but can help avoid confusion.

Some diacritics show special sounds in older books, foreign words, or certain areas. For instance, a mark can show a different sound for o, like in some foreign words. Other marks help show special sounds in place names or older writings.

Phonology

Malagasy has special sounds and ways of saying words. After a strong beat in a word, some vowel sounds change a little. For example, the letters "a", "u", and "i" can sound softer at the end of words.

Some sounds in Malagasy can change depending on what comes after them. For instance, certain letters may sound a bit different when followed by the sound "i". Also, some sounds can be missed out in casual speaking.

Words are usually stressed on the second-to-last syllable. But if a word ends in "ka", "tra", or sometimes "na", the stress moves to the third-to-last syllable. There can also be smaller stresses in longer words.

Grammar

Malagasy has a special way of putting words together in a sentence. Usually, in English, we say "The student reads the book." But in Malagasy, the order is different: "reads book the student." This is called verb-object-subject order.

Verbs in Malagasy can change their form to show who is doing the action, who is receiving the action, or what is being used. For example, "I wash my hands with soap" can be said in three different ways depending on what part of the sentence we want to focus on.

Nouns and pronouns in Malagasy do not change to show if they are singular or plural like in English. Instead, special words are used to show if something is near or far away, and if the speaker knows the thing well or not.

Vocabulary

Malagasy shares many of its basic words with the Ma'anyan language, which comes from the area near the Barito River in southern Borneo. Over time, Malagasy has also picked up words from Sanskrit, Arabic, and Bantu languages, especially from the Sabaki group, which includes Swahili. More recently, it has added words from French and English.

Malagasy has many words that come from Malay, but these words often have different meanings than they do in Malay.

Lexicography

The first dictionary for the Malagasy language was written by Étienne de Flacourt and published in 1658, called Dictionnaire de la langue de Madagascar. Before this, there were small word lists written in a special Malagasy script. Later, more dictionaries were created, such as an English-Malagasy vocabulary book in 1729.

In 1885, a very thick Malagasy-English dictionary with 892 pages was made by James Richardson from the London Missionary Society. Though useful, it includes some old-fashioned words. Since then, many smaller dictionaries have been updated to match how the language changes over time, including a modern dictionary with over 5 million Malagasy words.

Sample text

Here is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Malagasy and English:

In Malagasy:

Teraka afaka sy mitovy zo sy fahamendrehana ny olombelona rehetra. Samy manan-tsaina sy fieritreretana ka tokony hifampitondra am- pirahalahiana.

In English:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.