| Antesaka | |
|---|---|
| Tesaka | |
| Native to | |
| Ethnicity | Antesaka[1] |
Native speakers | 1,969,000 [2] |
Austronesian
| |
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | tkg |
| Glottolog | anta1261 |
| Linguasphere | 31-LDA-bf |
Tesaka is a dialect of Malagasy[3][4] spoken by Antesaka people in the region of Atsimo Atsinanana,Madagascar.[5]
Classification
Antesaka is a dialect of Malagasy belonging to the Central-Eastern branch of the language. It is grouped alongside other dialects within this branch, including those of the Plateau Malagasy (such as Merina and Antefasy), the Southern Betsimisaraka dialect, and the Sahafatra dialect.
Characteristics
Among the Central-Eastern Malagasy dialects, the Sahafatra dialect is considered the most closely related to Antesaka. The Antesaka dialect also exhibits notable similarities with the neighboring Antanosy dialect, largely due to their geographic proximity. These similarities include shared vocabulary and a common phonological feature: the suppression of the suffix -na or -gn, which is typically found in other Central-Eastern dialects. The use of the suffix -na or -gn is characteristic of most Central-Eastern Malagasy varieties, but it is notably absent in Antesaka, Sahafatra, and Southern Betsileo dialects.
Geographical distribution
The Antesaka dialect is spoken across a broad area in southeastern Madagascar, from the southern part of the Farafangana District to the Fort-Dauphin District, and from the Iakora District in the west—historically associated with the Bara people—to the Indian Ocean in the east. This area corresponds to the districts of Befotaka Sud District, Midongy-Atsimo District, Vangaindrano District, and partially to Vondrozo District and Farafangana District.[6]
Vocabulary
| # | English | Malagasy Standard | Antesaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One | Iray / Isa | Iraiky / Isa |
| 2 | Two | Roa | Roy |
| 3 | Three | Telo | Telo |
| 4 | Four | Efatra | Efatry |
| 5 | Five | Dimy | Dimy |
| 6 | Six | Enina | Eny |
| 7 | Seven | Fito | Fito |
| 8 | Eight | Valo | Valo |
| 9 | Nine | Sivy | Sivy |
| 10 | Ten | Folo | Folo |
| 11 | Hundred | Zato | Zato |
| 12 | Thousand | Arivo | Arivo |
| 13 | Ten thousand | Iray alina | Ray haly |
| 14 | One hundred thousand | Iray hetsy | Ray hetsy |
| 15 | One million | Tapitrisa | Tapitrisa |
| # | English | Malagasy Standard | Antesaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animal | Biby | Biby |
| 2 | Bird | Vorona | Voro |
| 3 | Duck | Ganagana | Gana |
| 4 | Chicken | Akoho | Akoho |
| 5 | Goose | Gisa | Gisy |
| 6 | Cow | Omby | Aomby |
| 7 | Sheep | Ondry | Ondry |
| # | English | Malagasy Standard | Antesaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North | Avaratra | Avaratry |
| 2 | South | Atsimo | Atsimo |
| 3 | East | Atsinanana | Atsignana |
| 4 | West | Andrefana | Andrefa |
| # | English | Malagasy Standard | Antesaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Andro | Andro |
| 2 | Today | Anio / Androany | Androany |
| 3 | Yesterday | Omaly | Omaly |
| 4 | Tomorrow | Rahampitso | Omaray |
| 5 | Month | Volana | Volagny |
| 6 | Year | Taona | Tao |
References
- ^ Sibree, James (1877). South-east Madagascar: Being Notes of a Journey Through the Tanala, Taimoro and Taisaka Countries in 1876. Antananarivo: London Missionary Society. pp. Appendix C.
- ^ "Malagasy, Tesaka language resources | Joshua Project".
- ^ Grimes, Barbara F. (2000). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (14th ed.). Summer Institute of Linguistics. p. 293. ISBN 9780883128152.
- ^ Ferrand, Gabriel (1909). Essai de phonétique comparée du malais et des dialectes malgaches: thèse pour le doctorat d'université, présentée à la Faculté des lettres de l'Université de Paris (in French). Paris: Paul Geuthner. p. XXXIX.
- ^ "Language page of Scripture Earth".
- ^ "Translations — Islands Mission". Retrieved 2025-07-03.
Bibliography
- Deschamps, Hubert (1952). Le dialecte Antaisaka (langue malgache). Paris: Société d'Éditions Géographiques, Maritimes et Coloniales.
