Sihanaka is a dialect of Malagasy spoken by Sihanaka people in the region of Lake Alaotra. The map is placed before the numbered pages.
Classification Sihanaka is an austronesian language part of Central-Eastern Malagasic and part of the Plateau branch of Malagasy language along with Merina, Antefasy, Antemoro, Tanala and Betsileo.
Characteristics The Sihanaka dialect is considered an older form of Merina, retaining broader and more provincial features. While largely intelligible with Merina, it preserves vocabulary now obsolete in Imerina, such as mivony ("to hide") and manjary ("beautiful" or "proper").
Demonstrative prefixes like tak- and ak- are still used in Sihanaka, as in other dialects of the Northern Malagasy group (e.g., Tsimihety, Northern Betsimisaraka), as well as in Southern Betsimisaraka. In contrast, Merina has lost these prefixes.
Sihanaka also shares the word agnambo for "up / above" with Tsimihety, Northern Betsimisaraka, and Southern Betsimisaraka, while Merina uses ambony.Jacques Dez, Cheminements linguistiques malgaches au-delà des grammaires usuelles, 1990, p. 111.
+ Demonstrative Forms Common to Sihanaka, Northern Malagasy dialects, and Southern Betsimisaraka Gloss Central-Eastern Malagasic Northern Malagasic Without prefix With prefix With prefix Merina Sihanaka Southern Betsimisaraka Northern Betsimisaraka Tsimihety In (present moment) ato akato akato akato akato In (past moment) tato takato takato takato takato In (general location) ao akao akao akao akao On (surface) eo akeo akeo akeo akeo Here eto aketo aketo aketo aketo There (general location) any akagny akagny akagny akagny There (past location) tany takagny takagny takagny takagny There (recently passed spot) teo takeo takeo takeo takeo Then (after that moment) avy eo avy akeo avy akeo avy akeo avy akeo Spatial Lexicon Up / above ambony agnambo agnambo agnambo agnambo
Territorial Range
In the Alaotra-Mangoro Region of Madagascar, the Sihanaka dialect is chiefly spoken within three districts — Ambatondrazaka District, Amparafaravola District, and Andilamena District — which together form the historical heartland of the Sihanaka people. It is also the most commonly spoken dialect in the city of Ambatondrazaka.
Vocabulary + Sihanaka Vocabulary with Gloss and Standard Malagasy # Gloss Standard Malagasy Sihanaka Numbers & Pronouns 1 One Iray Raika 2 Him / His Azy Ananzy 3 They / Them Ireo / Zareo Zareo People & Identity 4 Woman / Girl Vehivavy Viavy 5 His name Anarany Agnarany 6 We call her Hasinah Hasinah no iantsoana azy Hasinah agnantsonvangnan'azy Nature & Food 7 Mango Manga Voamanga 8 Sweet potato Voamanga Tsimanga 9 Papaya Papay Mampazo 10 Pineapple Mananasy Manasy 11 Goyava Goavy Gavo Objects & Qualities 12 Thing Zavatra Ràha 13 Quality / Personality Toetra Toatra 14 Huge Ngezabe Gedabe Space & Place 15 Here Eto Aketo 16 There Eo Akeo 17 In Ao Akao 18 In / Inside Anaty Agnaty 19 Above Ambony Agnambo 20 In the house Ao an-trano An-dragno Time & Frequency 21 Always Foana Foagna 22 Then Avy eo Avy takeo 23 Till when Hatramin'oviana Katram'oviana Questions 24 What Inona Ino 25 How Ahoana Anakôry Actions 26 To hear Maheno Maregny 27 Don’t fear Aza matahotra Aza matahatra
References