Vezo dialect

Vezo
Vezo
Native to	Madagascar;
Ethnicity	Vezo
Native speakers	386,000
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Western Indonesian Barito East Barito Southern malagasy Vezo; ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin script (Malagasy alphabet);
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	vezo1235
Linguasphere	31-LDA-ce

Vezo is a dialect of Malagasy^[2]^[3] spoken by Vezo in the provinces of Mahajanga and Toliara. It is among southern dialects of Malagasy along with Southern Sakalava, Masikoro, Tandroy, Mahafaly,Bara and Tanosy.^[4]^[5]

Classification

Vezo dialect belongs to the Austronesian language family. Vezo language is very close to Southern sakalava and Masikoro.^[6]

Geographic distribution

The Vezo dialect is predominantly spoken by the nomadic Vezo ethnic group and is the primary dialect in the city of Toliara. It is mainly used along the coastal areas of Atsimo-Andrefana, Menabe, and Androy.^[7]

Vocabulary

Numerals

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
One	Iray / Isa	Iraiky / Isa^ⓘ
Two	Roa	Roa^ⓘ
Three	Telo	Telo^ⓘ
Four	Efatra	Efatra^ⓘ
Five	Dimy	Dimy / Limy^ⓘ
Six	Enina	Enina^ⓘ
Seven	Fito	Fito^ⓘ
Eight	Valo	Valo^ⓘ
Nine	Sivy	Sivy^ⓘ
Ten	Folo	Folo^ⓘ
Hundred	Zato	Zato^ⓘ
Thousand	Arivo	Arivo raiky^ⓘ
Ten thousand	Iray alina	Ray aly^ⓘ
One hundred thousand	Iray hetsy	Ray hetsy^ⓘ
One million	Tapitrisa	Tapitrisa^ⓘ
One billion	Lavitrisa	Lavitrisa^ⓘ

Animals

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
Animal	Biby	Biby^ⓘ
Bird	Vorona	Voro^ⓘ
Fish	Trondro	Fia^ⓘ
Chicken	Akoho	Akoho^ⓘ
Cow	Omby	Aomby^ⓘ
Ant	Vitsika	Vitiky^ⓘ
Tortoise	Sokatra	Sokaky^ⓘ
Octopus	Horita	Horita^ⓘ
Goose	Gisa	Gisa^ⓘ
Crab	Drakaka	Drakaky^ⓘ
Goat	Osy	Aosy^ⓘ
Serpent	Bibilava	Bibilava^ⓘ
Sheep	Ondry	Aondry^ⓘ
Shrimp	Orana	Tsitsiky^ⓘ
Tiger	Tigra	Tigra^ⓘ

Direction

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
East	Atsinanana	Antsinanana^ⓘ
West	Andrefana	Andrefa^ⓘ
North	Avaratra	Avaratsy^ⓘ
South	Atsimo	Antsimo^ⓘ

Interrogative words

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
What?	Inona?	Ino?^ⓘ
Who?	Iza?	Ia?^ⓘ
Where?	Aiza?	Aia?^ⓘ
Why?	Nahoana?	Nahoa?^ⓘ

Time

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
Yesterday	Omaly	Nomaly^ⓘ
Today	Androany	Androany^ⓘ
Tomorrow	Rahampitso	Amaray^ⓘ
Month	Volana	Volana^ⓘ

Fruits and Vegetables

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
Avocado	Zavoka	Zavôka^ⓘ
Banana	Akondro	Kida^ⓘ
Bean	Tsaramaso	Tsaramaso^ⓘ
Carrot	Karôty	Karôty^ⓘ
Cassava	Mangahazo	Balahazo^ⓘ
Chinese cabbage	Petsay	Sidesiny^ⓘ
Coconut	Voanio	Coco^ⓘ
Corn	Katsaka	Tsako^ⓘ
Cucumber	Concombre	Kôkômbry^ⓘ
Eggplant	Baranjely	Baranjely^ⓘ
Grape	Voaloboka	Voaloboky^ⓘ
Guava	Goavy	Goavy^ⓘ
Lychee	Litchi	Letisy^ⓘ
Onion	Tongolo	Tongolo^ⓘ
Papaya	Papay	Papay^ⓘ
Pineapple	Mananasy	Mananasy^ⓘ
Potato	Ovy	Pômedetera^ⓘ
Rice	Vary	Vary^ⓘ
Sugar cane	Fary	Fosiky^ⓘ
Sweet potato	Vomanga	Belehy^ⓘ
Tomato	Voatabia	Tamatesy^ⓘ

Expressions

English	Malagasy Standard	Vezo
Where do you live ?	Aiza anao no mipetraka ?	Aia anao mipetraka ?^ⓘ
I live in Atsinengeha	Izaho dia mipetraka any Atsinengeha	Izaho mipetraka Atsinengeha^ⓘ
How old are you ?	Firy taona anao ?	Firy tao anao?^ⓘ
I am 9 years old	Sivy taona izaho	Izaho sivy tao^ⓘ
Where are you from ?	Avy aiza anao ?	Baka aia anao?^ⓘ
I am from Toliara	Avy any Toliary izaho	Izaho baka Toliara^ⓘ
I can speak English and Vezo language	Mahay miteny angilisy sy Vezo izaho	Izaho mahay mivola teny angilisy no vezo^ⓘ

References

^ "Madagascar et Malgache". Archived from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
^ Grimes, Barbara F. (2000). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (14th ed.). Summer Institute of Linguistics. p. 293. ISBN 9780883128152.
^ McElroy, Colleen J. (1999). Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar. University of Michigan Press. p. xxii.
^ "langue Malagasy: Vezo". globalrecordings.net.
^ "The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine". The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine (4): 124. 1878.
^ Proverbes malgaches en dialecte masikoro. 1996. p. 2.
^ Molet, Louis (1957). Petit guide de toponymie malgache (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.

[1] "Madagascar et Malgache". Archived from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2025-05-30.

[2] Grimes, Barbara F. (2000). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (14th ed.). Summer Institute of Linguistics. p. 293. ISBN 9780883128152.

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

[4] "langue Malagasy: Vezo". globalrecordings.net.

[5] "The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine". The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine (4): 124. 1878.

[6] Proverbes malgaches en dialecte masikoro. 1996. p. 2.

[7] Molet, Louis (1957). Petit guide de toponymie malgache (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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

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