464 APPENDIX. 



by words added to the noun, as the ordinal numbers, or ad- 

 jectives of number. Case is indicated by the position of the 

 noun in the sentence, or the use of prepositions ; and gender is 

 determined by the addition of the word lahy for male, and vavy 

 for female. Most of the nouns are derivatives from either verbs 

 or adjectives. Those from verbs correspond in signification with 

 the meaning of the part of the verb whence they are taken ; as, 

 anatra, instruction ; mianatra, to learn ; fanarana, means of in- 

 struction, as copy, or lesson ; mpianatra, scholar ; mpampianatra, 

 teacher. 



Adjectives are not numerous, and they admit of no inflection. 

 Some are roots ; as, tsara, good ; ratsy, bad. Many are formed 

 by affixing ma to the roots ; as, loto, filth ; maloto, dirty ; dio, 

 purity; madio, pure, uncontaminated. Adjectives usually follow 

 the noun ; as, trano avo, house lofty ; rano marivo, water shallow : 

 but they admit of being placed before the noun with the article 

 intervening ; as, avo ny trano, lofty (is) the house ; marivo ny 

 rano, shallow (is) the water. The comparative degree is formed 

 by the addition of the word noho, or repeating the positive and 

 adding the word kokoa ; as, tsara, good ; tsara noho izy, better 

 than he ; or, tsara tsara kokoa, better. The superlative is formed 

 by adding the word indrindra, exceedingly ; as, tsara indrindra, 

 best ; or, tsara dia tsara, good, indeed good, best. 



The Malagasy system of numbers is singularly extensive and 

 complete, enabling the natives to express cardinal numbers with 

 great facility and precision, to an extent far beyond what their 

 present state of civilisation would seem to require ; and they are 

 generally great adepts in calculation. The first ten numbers are 

 independent words. The numbers from 10 to 100, zato, are ex- 

 pressed by adding the units to folo, the word for ten, which, for 

 the sake of euphony, is changed into polo. Thus twenty, two, 

 tens, is roapolo. The hundreds up to a thousand, arivo, are 

 counted in the same manner. The thousands in the same manner 

 produce the myriad, alina ; and thence to a hundred thousand and 

 a million. The word ambiny, signifying add, is inserted between 

 the units and the tens ; and, in reciting, the numbers always com- 

 mence with the lowest or unit, and rise to the highest. Thus, 

 iraik ambiny folo, one add ten, viz., eleven ; or, roambi telopolo, am- 



