vanga

→ English: vanga


tonga

The talisman sense comes from Etymology 1 of the word.

Catharanthus roseus
Catharanthus roseus#Translingual

(Antanosy) rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)


vorona

Possibly borrowed from Banjarese burung.


saka

Felis silvestris catus
Felis silvestris catus#Translingual


lambo

(figuratively, by extension) lazy person who eats a lot


tona

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tuna, from Proto-Austronesian *tuNa.

A species of very large nocturnal serpent.

(figurative) An eel too large to be used as food because of its resemblance to a tona.


arina

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qajeŋ. Compare Indonesian arang.

(dialectal) several trees which are considered to produce high-quality charcoal, such as those of species Bridelia tulasneana, Rhodolaena bakeriana and some species of genus Schizolaena


fosa

desctree

→ English: fossa
→ Portuguese: fossa
→ Translingual: Fossa

Likely once referred to the Malayan weasel (Mustela nudipes) prior to a semantic shift, thus cognate with Sarawak Malay pusak and Tagalog pusa.

Cryptoprocta ferox
Cryptoprocta ferox#Translingual


vontsira

A member of either of two species of small, brown, mongoose-like mammals Salanoia concolor and Salanoia durrelli, from Madagascar.


aforano

afo (“fire”) + rano (“water”), "water/liquid fire". The plant names are due to these plants causing blisters on the skin, while growing in humid places.

(chemistry) acid, especially sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid

(dialectal) the plant Ranunculus multifidus

(dialectal) the plant Ranunculus pinnatus


bararata

the plant Phragmites mauritianus, a reed


akondro

Possibly from a Bantu language, ultimately from Proto-Bantu *kòndè (“banana”).


bobaky

Buteo brachypterus
Buteo brachypterus#Translingual

(Sakalava, Tankarana) Madagascar buzzard (Buteo brachypterus)


balahazo

(dialectal) Synonym of mangahazo (“cassava”)


akoma

Malagasy ground boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis)


bitro

Rebracketing of rabitro, a borrowing from English rabbit, as ra- (“prefix forming names”) + *bitro.


famafa

(dialectal, by extension) some plants whose twigs are used to make brooms, such as Henonia scoparia and licorice weed (Scoparia dulcis)


akoho vositra

akoho (“chicken”) + vositra (“castrated livestock”)


beroberoka

Sonchus oleraceus
Sonchus oleraceus#Translingual

(Sihanaka, Betsileo) common sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)


fandikanala

Coua reynaudii
Coua reynaudii#Translingual


famefakangaty

Microcarbo africanus
Microcarbo africanus#Translingual

long-tailed cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)


omby

cow, ox (an individual of Bos taurus, irrespective of sex)


ambiko

(dialectal) the highland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes nigriceps)


ankoay

Madagascan fish eagle
Madagascan fish eagle

Haliaeetus vociferoides
Haliaeetus vociferoides#Translingual

Madagascan fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)


ampondra

/aˈᵐpuⁿɖ͡ʐa/

[əˈᵐpuⁿɖ͡ʐə̥]


bemanana

a species of large bird of prey like a hawk or falcon


amponga

(dialectal) the pitcher plant species Nepenthes madagascariensis


fanihy

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paniki. Compare Tagalog paniki.


antsoly

(dialectal, Sakalava) plants in the genus Phyllanthus


amboahaolo

Eupleres goudotii
Wikispecies:Eupleres goudotii


fakamalao

(Betsileo) cream garland-lily (Hedychium flavescens)


fandrasangara

Accipiter henstii
Accipiter henstii#Translingual


fandikalalana

Madagascan nightjar (Caprimulgus madagascariensis)


arosy

Sarkidiornis melanotos
Sarkidiornis melanotos#Translingual

knob-billed duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)


amontana

the giant-leaved fig tree (Ficus lutea, syn. Ficus baronii)


vivy

Tachybaptus pelzelnii
Tachybaptus pelzelnii#Translingual

grebes, especially the Madagascan grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii)


takatra

Scopus umbretta
Scopus umbretta#Translingual


bararaka

The plant names are due to these plants acting as an emetic.

(Betsimisaraka) beach cabbage (Scaevola taccada)


fandrasalambo

Polyboroides radiatus
Polyboroides radiatus#Translingual

Madagascan harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus)


dangoro

Ardea purpurea
Ardea purpurea#Translingual


lavaelatra

Falco concolor
Falco concolor#Translingual


daronambolo

(Betsimisaraka) palm saplings, especially those of Dypsis procumbens(syn. Neophloga mananjarensis)


demoka

(Betsimisaraka) the tree Beilschmiedia velutina


dimaty

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qali-matek. Compare Cebuano alimatok, Thai ทาก (tâak).


boky boky

narrow-striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata)


gidro

From Swahili ngedere or Arabic قِرْد (“monkey”)


antsanga

sediment deposited by a flood or a stream


befelatanana

be (“big, great”) + felatanana (“palm of the hand”)

the palm trees Borassus madagascariensis and Bismarckia nobilis


trandraka

→ French: tanrec

→ English: tenrec

Possibly related to Malay landak ("porcupine")

Tenrec ecaudatus
Wikispecies:Tenrec ecaudatus


ampongabendanitra

Sometimes interpreted as amponga + be + lanitra, "great drum of heaven", but in reality from English pomegranate.


bakaka

(Sakalava) Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense)


kibobo

Turnix nigricollis
Turnix nigricollis#Translingual

the Madagascan buttonquail (Turnix nigricollis)


antsantsa

(figurative, dialectal) robber who robs travelers


ampaly

Any plant of species Ficus politoria (syn. Ficus soroceoides), whose leaves are rough like sandpaper

(dialectal) any plant of species Ampalis mauritiana (syn. Streblus mauritianus)

(dialectal) any plant of species Campylospermum obtusifolium


dingadingana

(Tankarana) the plant Dombeya linearifolia


bandrolahy

(dialectal) hook-billed vanga (Vanga curvirostris)


ahidrano

ahitra (“grass; herbaceous plant”) + rano (“water”). The first three senses are due to the plants growing in wet, muddy areas.

antelope grass (Echinochloa pyramidalis)


bibindandy

biby (“animal”) + landy (“silk, silkworm”)


dilatra

(Bezanozano) the plant Leptolaena multiflora


besavily

be (“big, great”) + savily (“hinge”), referring to the swinging of its tail.


falamakavava

Anastomus lamelligerus
Anastomus lamelligerus#Translingual

(Tanala) African openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus)


fitiliandro

Malagasy palm swift (Cypsiurus gracilis)

Madagascan spinetail (Zoonavena grandidieri)


tsiriry

Tachybaptus ruficollis
Tachybaptus ruficollis#Translingual


farifotra

spectacled tetraka (Xanthomixis zosterops)


vorombato

Glareola ocularis
Glareola ocularis#Translingual

Madagascan pratincole (Glareola ocularis)


betsimihilana

be (“big, great”) + tsy (“not”) + mihilana (“to incline”), referring to how the lily pad remains flat on the water surface.


trozona

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *duyuŋ (“dugong”).


ampy

(dialectal) the plant Laportea humblotii (syn. Urera longifolia)


sokina

Haza sokina.

To hunt tenrecs (figuratively: to examine very carefully)

Setifer setosus
Setifer setosus#Translingual

the greater hedgehog tenrec, Setifer setosus


fary

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pajay (“rice plant”), from Proto-Austronesian *pajay (“rice plant”). Doublet of vary (“paddy”). Compare Ma'anyan parei, Javanese pari, Malay padi and Tagalog palay.


anamamy

anana (“leaf vegetable”) + mamy (“sweet”)

Solanum nigrum
Solanum nigrum#Translingual


jamoka

(dialectal, Tankarana) baskets stored on shelves as an ornament


sifaka

→ Catalan: sifaca

→ English: sifaka

→ German: Sifaka


babakoto

→ English: babakoto, babacoote


endrina

→ English: indri

(dialectal) indri (Indri indri, species of lemur)


orkide

Borrowed from Greek ορχιδέα (orchidéa, “orchid”).


voanio

Compound of voa (“fruit”) + nio (“coconut”), where the second element comes from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *niuʀ (“coconut”).


antsangy

[əˈⁿt͡saᵑɡʲ]

From a Sabaki Bantu language; compare Swahili sengi (“elephant shrew”).


voalavo

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *balabaw.


femba

From a Bantu language, ultimately from Proto-Bantu *mʊ̀pémbá (“millet”). Compare Shona nyemba (“cowpea”) and Chichewa nyemba (“bean”).


amboa

Borrowed from Swahili mbwa.
Malagasy is unusual among the Austronesian languages in that all its words for 'dog' are loanwords, derived from Bantu languages. All pre-colonial dogs in Madagascar are descended from dogs from mainland Africa. The initial Austronesian settlers of Madagascar certainly would have brought dogs with them, but these dogs may not have survived the voyage to Madagascar, or were genetically supplanted by mainland African dogs.


fiantsifa

bluespine unicornfish
bluespine unicornfish

short-nose unicornfish
short-nose unicornfish

Naso unicornis
Wikispecies:Naso unicornis

bluespine unicornfish, short-nose unicornfish (Naso unicornis)


maky

desctree

→ French: maki
→ Catalan: maqui
→ English: maki
→ German: Maki
→ Italian: maki


aiay

→ English: aye-aye


ampongy

western woolly lemur (Avahi occidentalis)


voay

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *buqaya. Compare Indonesian buaya.


tsidiala

hairy-eared dwarf lemur
hairy-eared dwarf lemur

hairy-eared dwarf lemur (Allocebus trichotis)


lamboresy

From lambo (“wild boar”) + resy (“defeated; conquered”).


vorondolo

From vorona (“bird”) + lolo (“ghost”). Compare Indonesian burung hantu (literally “ghost bird”).


pisopiso

The plants are believed to attract cats. From piso.

(dialectal) the plant Woodfordia fruticosa (fire-flame bush)


papango

→ French: papangue

Circus macrosceles
Circus macrosceles#Translingual


ondry

Ultimately from a Central Sudanic language, in which it originally meant "goat".


vorombazaha

vorona (“bird”) + vazaha (“foreigner; white person”); "foreign bird".


vorombe

vorona (“bird”) + be (“big”); "big bird"


ganagana

From French cane (“female duck”), plus reduplication.


varika

Related to Banjarese warik (“monkey”) and Ma'anyan warik (“monkey”).


sahona

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sa(ŋ)kuŋ (“resounding sound”).


fitiliky

small-toothed sportive lemur (Lepilemur microdon)

weasel sportive lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus)


vositse

Malagasy giant rat (Hypogeomys antimena)


ambiaty

Gymnanthemum appendiculatum (a species of flowering plant)


tandrondro

Clipping of sangoritra, variant of sangorina (“to cut”), in reference to its quick thrusting tongue, and rondra (“to crawl”)