Malagasy
Malagasy is an Austronesian language spoken in Madagascar.
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Did you know
Madagascar lies off Africa, yet Malagasy is Austronesian: its closest relative is Ma’anyan, spoken some 7,000 km away in Borneo. More than a thousand years ago, seafarers crossed the whole Indian Ocean to get there.
Written down
Teraka afaka sy mitovy zo sy fahamendrehana ny olombelona rehetra. Samy manan-tsaina sy fieritreretana ka tokony hifampitondra am- pirahalahiana.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR in Unicode).
Words in Malagasy
| Meaning | Word | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| mother | reny | |
| father | aba | |
| man | lehilahy | |
| woman | barera | |
| eye | maso | |
| ear | sofina | |
| nose | orona | |
| tooth | nify | |
| tongue | lela | |
| hand | tanana | |
| heart | fo | |
| head | loha | |
| blood | ra | |
| bone | taolana | |
| knee | lohalika | |
| breast | nono | |
| liver | aty | |
| water | rano | |
| fire | afo | |
| sun | masoandro | |
| moon | volana | |
| star | kintana | |
| sky | lanitra | |
| rain | orana | |
| snow | oram-panala | |
| stone | vato | |
| mountain | tendrombohitra | |
| river | mivory | |
| sea | ranomasina | |
| tree | hazo |
Most similar languages
Vocabulary
- Northern Betsimisaraka MalagasyAustronesian77% alike
- Southern Betsimisaraka MalagasyAustronesian72% alike
- Tesaka MalagasyAustronesian68% alike
- Bara MalagasyAustronesian67% alike
- Antankarana MalagasyAustronesian63% alike
- Tsimihety MalagasyAustronesian56% alike
Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.