Malagasy language is related to the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and more closely with the Southeast Barito group of languages spoken in Borneo except for its Polynesian morphophonemics. Malagasy shares much of its basic vocabulary with the Malanyan language, a language from the region of the Barito River in southern Borneo. This indicates that Madagascar was first settled by Austronesian people from the Malay Archipelago who had transited through Borneo, though it is not clear precisely when or why such colonisation took place. Later, the original Austronesian settlers must have mixed with East Africans and Arabs, amongst others.
The Malagasy language also includes some borrowings from Arabic, and Bantu languages (notably Swahili). The language has a written literature going back presumably to the 15th century. When the French established Fort-Dauphin in the 17th century, they found an Arabico-Malagasy script in use, known as Sorabe. The oldest known manuscript in that script is a short Malagasy-Dutch vocabulary from the early 17th century first published in 1908 by Gabriel Ferrand though the script must have been introduced into the southeast area of Madagascar in the 15th century. Radama I, the first literate representative of the Merina monarchy, though extensively versed in the Arabico-Malagasy tradition, opted for alphabetization in Latin characters and invited the Protestant London Missionary Society to establish schools and churches.
WORD ORDER
Malagasy has a highly unusual Verb Object Subject word order:
Mamaky boky ny mpianatra (reads book the student)
"The student is reading the book"
Nividy ronono ho an'ny zaza ny vehivavy (bought milk for the child the woman)
"The woman bought milk for the child"
Within phrases, Malagasy order is typical of head initial languages: Malagasy has prepositions rather than postpositions (ho an'ny zaza "for the child"). Determiners precede the noun, while quantifiers, modifying adjective phrases, and relative clauses follow the noun (ny boky "the book(s)", ny boky mena "the red book(s)", ny boky rehetra "all the books", ny boky novakin'ny mpianatra "the book(s) read by the student(s)"). Somewhat unusually, demonstrative determiners are repeated both before and after the noun ity boky ity "this book" (lit. "this book this"). Verbs inflect for past, present, and future tense, where tense is marked by prefixes (e.g., mividy "buy", nividy "bought", hividy "will buy"). Malagasy has no grammatical gender, and nouns do not inflect for number. However, pronouns and demonstratives have distinct singular and plural forms (cf. io boky io "that book", ireto boky ireto "these books"). There is a complex series of personal and demonstrative pronouns, depending on the speaker's familiarity and closeness to the referent.
USEFUL WORDS:
Greeting
| Hi |
Manao ahoana, Salama |
| Hi y'all |
Manao ahoana daholo |
| Good morning sir/ma'am |
Manao ahoana tompoko |
Taking leave
| Take care |
Veloma |
| See you |
Mandram-pihaona |
| Goodbye |
Veloma tompoko |
Gratitude
| Thanks |
Misaotra |
| Thanks a lot |
Misaotra betsaka |
| Thank you |
Misaotra tompoko |
| Thank you very much |
Misaotra betsaka tompoko |
| You are welcome |
Tsy misy fisaorana |
Apology
| I'm sorry |
Azafady |
| Please |
Azafady |
| Excuse me |
Azafady tompoko |
Airport
| Welcome |
Tonga soa |
| Do you speak English? |
Mahay teny Anglisy ve ianao ? |
| Your passport please |
Ny pasipaoronao azafady |
| Have a nice travel |
Tongava soa |
| I don't understand you |
Tsy azoko izay lazainao |
Shop, Grocery Store
| It's too expensive! |
Lafo loatra ! |
| How much does it cost? |
Ohatrinona ny vidiny ? |
| I don't like the color |
Tsy tiako ny lokony |
Hotel, Restaurant
| What's on the menu today? |
Inona no sakafo androany ? |
| Enjoy your meal |
Mazotoa homana |
| Where's the bathroom? |
Aiza ny toerana fivoahana ? |
| Ladies |
Vehivavy |
| Men |
Lehilahy |
| Do you have a room available for tonight? |
Misy efitrano malalaka ve androany alina ? |
Direction, Cab
| How to get to Analakely please? |
Aiza ny lalana mankany Analakely azafady ? |
| Can you take me to the airport? |
Azonao entina any amin'ny seranam-piaramanidina ve aho ? |
Miscellaneous
| I love you |
Tiako ianao |
| Let's go! |
Andao handeha! |
| What time is it? |
Amin'ny firy izao ? |
| It's ten-thirty a.m. |
Amin'ny folo sy sasany maraina izao |
| Are you okay? |
Salama tsara ve ianao ? |
| Yes |
Eny |
| No |
Tsia |
| Shut up! |
Mangina ! |
| I don't care! |
Inona no hiraharahiako ! |
Malagasy Slang Expressions
| Hi |
K'aiza |
| I'm leaving |
Aleo izaho hiala |
| No way |
Tsisy fika |
| I don't understand |
Tsy kaopy aho |
| Lying |
Mampiesona, mampiresaka |
| It's too long (time) |
Milona be izy izany |
| It's nice |
Milay be ilay izy |
| Having fun |
Manala azy, mirevy |
| Friend, pal |
Akama |
| Talk, secret |
Kaozy |
| Clothes |
Kata |
| Eating |
Mikaly |
| Meal |
Kaly |
| Young woman, girl |
Sipa |
| Girlfriend, boyfriend |
Sipa |
| Money, bucks |
Saosy, bamà |