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Could Malagasy be the most interesting language in Africa?

Not many people really know what Malagasy is, so it helps to start with the basics. Malagasy is the native language of Madagascar, spoken by around 18 million people in that beautiful island country located in the Indian Ocean on the southeast coast of Africa. Interestingly, the people of Madagascar are also called Malagasy, it is not surprising that the language is spoken throughout the country.

Even more interesting is that Madagascar is not a Malagasy word, but a corrupted version of Madagasikara, which is the indigenous name of the country. Madagascar is better known though, thanks to its popularization by Europeans after it was first recorded by the 15th century explorer Marco Polo.

Malagasy remains a rich language that unites all the inhabitants of Madagascar and facilitates communication and interdependence even in its capital, Antananarivo. This is the reason why Malagasy shares the status of an official national language with French, the lingua franca of the former colonizers of Madagascar, from whom independence was gained in 1960.

The origin and distinction of Malagasy
Malagasy originates from Indonesia, but it also borrows from the Arabic and Bantu languages ​​and, more recently, from French and English. What continues to arouse the curiosity of linguists is how that language has stood the test of time by remaining the only language spoken in this great island country with diverse ecosystems separated from each other by forests, deserts, mountains and rivers, but there are more than 60 languages ​​spoken in Uganda alone.

Malagasy has managed to stay strong and popular, largely thanks to the artistic and oratory form in which it has been passed down from one generation to the next. The oral tradition of Madagascar is rich and distinct; poetry, public speeches and sayings have kept the language intact due to the country’s strong oral history.

The over-reliance on oral history to commemorate key events in the country’s past while preserving its traditional language and beliefs only began to change with the introduction of the written form. However, Malagasy remains the language of instruction in all public schools, which explains why written Malagasy is very different from spoken Malagasy.

The language of love?
Islands are often associated with romance, places where newlywed couples and lovers with hearts beating with the chemistry of love go to relax. Madagascar, which is an island nation, is no exception. Most people honeymoon there, but to maximize your stay, it helps to know and speak Malagasy. Fortunately, in 1818 the London Missionary Society sent some missionaries to Madagascar; They evangelized the nation and translated the Bible into Malagasy language, so you can choose some Malagasy words by reading Malagasy Bible.

Certainly there are also some Malagasy dictionaries that you can buy online at Amazon to learn Malagasy, a language whose alphabet is the same as the English alphabet but only missing the letters C, Q, U, W and X. Malagasy diplomats They are spreading their language in France, Belgium and Washington, DC, where it is growing in popularity, which is why Malagasy translation services are now in high demand. Here are some of the other language translation services you may need;

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