Sahavoay dialect

Sahavoay is a dialect of the Malagasy language spoken by the Sahavoay ethnic group in Atsimo Atsinanana, Madagascar.^[1]

Sahavoay
Native to	Madagascar
Ethnicity	Sahavoay
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Western Indonesian Barito East Barito Central-Eastern Malagasic Plateaux Malagasy Antefasy–Antemoro Sahavoay
Writing system	Latin script (Malagasy alphabet)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–

Classification

Sahavoay is part of the Austronesian language family, within the Central-Eastern Malagasic branch. It is further classified under the Plateaux Malagasy and Antefasy–Antemoro subgroups.^[2]

Geographical distribution

The Sahavoay dialect is spoken in the communes of Bevoay, Ambohigogo, Maheriraty and Ambohimandroso in the Farafangana district.

Characteristics

Sahavoay is most similar to the Antaifasy dialect, with which it shares many phonological and lexical features.

Vocabulary

English	Malagasy Standard	Sahavoay
One	Iray	Raiky
I	Aho	Iaho
We (exclusive)	Izahay	Ahay
We (inclusive)	Isika	Atsika
They	Izy ireo	Indreo
Rice	Vary	Vary
Cow	Omby	Aomby
Mountain	Tendrombohitra	Vohitry
To climb	Miakatra	Magnaniky
House	Trano	Tragno