Vakinankaratra dialect

Vakinankaratra
Vakinankaratra
Native to	Madagascar ;
Ethnicity	Vakinankaratra
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Western Indonesian Barito East Barito Central-Eastern Malagasic Plateau Malagasy Vakinankaratra; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin script (Malagasy alphabet);
Language codes
ISO 639-1	mg
ISO 639-3	plt
	Vakinankaratra dialect sample A woman talking about Radio Haja Antsirabe to two men in the local Vakinankaratra dialect.

Last updated January 13, 2026

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 In urban and peri-urban contexts, it has largely been replaced by the Merina dialect of the Analamanga, which has become the dominant form of speech.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

**Distinct Vakinankaratra gloss from Merina (Standard Malagasy)**
#	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	Tsa menatra izy amin'ny zavatra ohatrizany ^ⓘ
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.

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[1] Turcotte, Denis (1981). La politique linguistique en Afrique francophone : une étude comparative de la Côte d'Ivoire et de Madagascar. p. 54.

[2] McElroy, Colleen J. (1999). Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar. University of Michigan Press. p. xxii.

[3] 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.

[4] "ethnicLists – Dictionnaire et Encyclopédie malgaches". motmalgache.org. Retrieved 28 April 2025.

[5] "Plantal Language Resources". OLAC (Open Language Archives Community). Retrieved 15 July 2025.

[6] 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

[7] Andriamise, L. (2015). "Le Vakinankaratra, parler hybride merina-betsileo" (PDF). Western Papers in Linguistics / Cahiers linguistiques de Western. Retrieved 28 June 2025.

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v t e Languages of Madagascar
Official languages	French Malagasy
Malagasy dialects	Sahavoay Sahafatra Antefasy Betsileo Vakinankaratra Masikoro Anjoaty Antemanambondro Tanosy Bezanozano Antambahoaka Zafisoro Vezo Sihanaka Tanala Antakarana Antesaka Tsimihety Northern Sakalava Antaimoro Bara Southern Betsimisaraka Northern Betsimisaraka Mikea
Foreign languages	English Swahili Comorian Gujarati Chinese Mandarin Cantonese
Sign languages	Malagasy Sign Language

Vakinankaratra
Native to	Madagascar
Ethnicity	Vakinankaratra ^[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Western Indonesian Barito East Barito Central-Eastern Malagasic Plateau Malagasy Vakinankaratra
Writing system	Latin script (Malagasy alphabet)
Language codes
ISO 639-1	`mg`
ISO 639-3	`plt`
Vakinankaratra dialect sample A woman talking about Radio Haja Antsirabe to two men in the local Vakinankaratra dialect.