Vezo dialect

Vezo
Native to	Madagascar
Ethnicity	Vezo[1]
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] 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.^[3][4]

Classification

Vezo dialect belongs to the Austronesian language family. Vezo language is very close to Southern sakalava dialect phonetically.

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.^[5]

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^ⓘ

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	Beranjely	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^ⓘ

References

1. "Madagascar et Malgache". Archived from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
2. McElroy, Colleen J. (1999). Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar. University of Michigan Press. p. xxii.
3. "langue Malagasy: Vezo". globalrecordings.net.
4. "The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine". The Antananarivo Annual and Madagascar Magazine (4): 124. 1878.
5. 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. The map is placed before the numbered pages.