| Vakinankaratra | |
|---|---|
| Native to | |
| Ethnicity | Vakinankaratra[1] |
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | mg |
| ISO 639-3 | plt |
Vakinankaratra is a dialect[2][3] of the Malagasy language spoken in the Vakinankaratra Region, after which it is named.[4] It bears significant resemblance to the Merina dialect.
Classification
Vakinankaratra is an Austronesian language part of the Plateaux branch of Malagasy language.[5]
Characteristics
Vakinankaratra dialect is a dialect very close to Merina but influenced by Betsileo. In Vakinankaratra, the suffix -gn is dropped unlike in Betsileo where it's kept. Vakinankaratra use the suffix -na in the place of-gn.
Geographic distribution
Historically, the Vakinankaratra dialect was spoken throughout the Vakinankaratra Region.
In contemporary usage, the dialect is no longer spoken as a distinct variety in urban areas such as Antsirabe. However, speakers in the city retain a limited amount of Vakinankaratra vocabulary as well as phonological features, particularly aspects of the local accent. The dialect is now mainly confined to rural areas of the region, especially in parts of the districts of Antsirabe II, Betafo, and Mandoto. In urban and peri-urban contexts, it has largely been replaced by the Merina dialect of the Analamanga, which has become the dominant form of speech. [6]
Vocabulary
| # | Gloss | Standard Malagasy | Vakinankaratra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | |||
| 1 | One | Iray | Iray/Raika |
| Pronouns | |||
| 2 | I / Me | Izaho / Aho | Za / A / Aako / Aago |
| 3 | He / She / Him / Her | Izy | Izy |
| 4 | We | Izahay | Anay |
| 5 | They / Them | Zareo | Reo |
| Demonstratives | |||
| 6 | This | Ity / Iry | Ity / Iry or Itikatra / Irikatra (rare) |
| 7 | That / There | Ary | Ary or Arikatra (rare) |
| 8 | That (far) | Iry | Iry or Irikatra (rare) |
| Location | |||
| 9 | Here | Aty | Aty or Atikatra (rare) |
| 10 | Where? | Aiza? | Aia? |
| 11 | How far? | Hatraiza? | Hatraia? |
| 12 | Upstairs | Efitra ambony | Am-batra |
| 13 | Downstairs | Efitra ambany | An-tany |
| 14 | Outside | Ivelan'ny trano | Andrindrina / Alatrano |
| 15 | Home | An-trano | An-drano |
| Questions | |||
| 16 | Who? | Iza? | Ia? |
| 17 | Where is he/she/it? | Mk aiza izy? | Aia ii? |
| 18 | Who is there? | Iza no ao? | Ia aby no ao? |
| Negation | |||
| 19 | Not | Tsy | Tsary / Tsa |
| 20 | Never | Intsony | Intsony / Tsotry[7] |
| Intensity | |||
| 21 | Really / Very | Tokoa / Tena | Tokoa / Tena or Tokoatra / Tegna (rare) |
| 22 | Cold | Mangatsiaka | Mangitsy |
| 23 | Sad / Makes sad | Mampalahelo | Mahonena / Manena |
| Frequency | |||
| 24 | All | Avy | Aby |
| 25 | Fast | Haingana | Azela |
| 26 | Very fast | Haingakaingana | Azelazela |
| Daily Life | |||
| 27 | Family | Fianakaviana | Fianakavena |
| 28 | Child | Ankizy | Akizy |
| 29 | Question | Fanontaniana | Fanontanena |
| 30 | To swim | Milomano | Mandano |
| 31 | Ask the doctor | Dokotera anontaniana | Dokotera anontanena |
| 32 | I study | Mianatra zaho | Mianatra a |
| 33 | We sing Nej's songs | Mihira hiran'i Nej' zahay | Mihira hiran'i Nej' anay |
| 34 | History | Tantara | Tatara |
| Expressions | |||
| 35 | Good morning everyone | Manao ahoana daholo anareo | Manakory aby nareo |
| 36 | How are you doing | Manao ahoana anareo e | Manakory anareo e |
| 37 | Hurry up! | Aza ela! | Azela! |
| 38 | Later on / then | Rehefa avy eo | Sefa hatreo |
| 39 | Bring it here | Hoento aty | Ôtatyyy |
| 40 | Come here | Avia eto / Avia aty | Ambia anga androky |
| 41 | Surprise expression | Hay ve? | Kay viiii! |
| 42 | He isn't ashamed of things like that | Tsy menatra izy amin'ny zavatra ohatr'izany | ⓘ |
| 43 | I like / I love | Tiako | Tieko |
| 44 | I can't bear | Tsy tantiko | Tsy tatiko |
| 45 | I don't like him | Tsy tia azy izaho | Tsa te aniny a |
| 46 | Thanks / Thank you | Misaotra | Sôtry |
| Objects | |||
| 47 | Firewood | Kitay | Kità |
| 48 | Shopping bag | Harona | Taty bazary |
| 49 | Bottle | Tavoahangy | Tavangy |
| Verbs & Motion | |||
| 50 | Take / Pick | Maka / Mangala | Maka |
| 51 | Sit down | Mipetraha | Mitôra |
| 52 | Sit / Be seated | Mipetraka | Mitôtra |
| 53 | Fall down | Mianjera | Mezera / Mikodia / Mkinjika |
| 54 | Boil / Burn | Mangotraka | Mandevy |
| 55 | Drop | Latsaka | Katraka / Potraka |
| 56 | Bump / Hit | Midona | Midotra |
| 57 | Run | Mihazakazaka | Mandainday |
| 58 | Leave / Exit | Miala | Miinga |
| 59 | Pour (rice, etc.) | Mandoatra | Alozina |
| 60 | To arrange / Make tidy | Ampirimina | Atsaraizina |
| 61 | To arrive | Tonga | Tamy |
| 62 | Pierced | Goaka | Tsobaka |
| 63 | To depend / rely on | Miankina | Miakina |
| Adjectives / Descriptions | |||
| 64 | Mean / Harsh / Cruel | Masiaka | Maseka |
| 65 | Bridge | Tetezana | Tatezana |
References
- ^ Turcotte, Denis (1981). La politique linguistique en Afrique francophone : une étude comparative de la Côte d'Ivoire et de Madagascar. p. 54.
- ^ McElroy, Colleen J. (1999). Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar. University of Michigan Press. p. xxii.
- ^ Turcotte, Denis (1981). La politique linguistique en Afrique francophone: une étude comparative de la Côte d’Ivoire et de Madagascar (in French). Presses de l’Université Laval. p. 57.
- ^ "ethnicLists – Dictionnaire et Encyclopédie malgaches". motmalgache.org. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "Plantal Language Resources". OLAC (Open Language Archives Community). Retrieved 15 July 2025.
- ^ Molet, Louis (1957). Little Guide to Malagasy Toponymy (PDF) (in French). Tananarive: Scientific Research Institute of Madagascar, Department of Human Sciences. pp. map (unnumbered) + p. 8.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) The map is placed before the numbered pages - ^ Andriamise, L. (2015). "Le Vakinankaratra, parler hybride merina-betsileo" (PDF). Western Papers in Linguistics / Cahiers linguistiques de Western. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
