504 
APPENDIX. 
should be remarked, that this is not employed as a separate 
and distinct prefix which can be omitted, but which enters into 
the essential composition of the name itself, as may be seen in 
the following examples : 
An-kadi-vori-be,—(name of a village south-west of the capital,) 
if analysed, is, an, the; kady ( h changed into k after n ) 
for hady , ditch; vory , round ; be, many : i. e. the place 
of numerous fosses. 
Am-bohi-be-maso-andro,— am, the; bohi, from vohitra, tra cut 
off in composition, and v changed into b, for the sake of 
sound ; be, much ; maso andro, sun : i. e. the village of 
much sun; i. e. open to the sky, unsheltered by trees, &c. 
Am-bohi-polo-alina,—the village of ten myriads. 
Angavo,— an, the ; avo, high ; g inserted for the sake of sound, 
or the native nasal sound of n on the coast. 
An-tananarivo,—the town of a thousand. 
On Nouns. 
The distinction of gender can only be made by the addition 
of the word laky for male, and vavy for female. 
The distinction of number can only be made by the addition 
of some word that defines the meaning intended, as the ordinal 
numbers, the adjectives few, many, &c. 
The distinction of case is made partly by the use of prepo¬ 
sitions, and partly by the position of the words, as, Vonoiny ny 
saka ny totozy , the cat killed the mouse; literally, was killed 
by it, the cat, the mouse: totozy, mouse, is in the nominative 
case; the agent to the passive verb is here saka, which must 
always immediately follow its verb. 
The nouns themselves therefore undergo no inflexions. Nouns 
are roots, derivatives, or compounds. Some are roots, as lani - 
tra, the sky; rivotra, wind; mofo, bread. Most nouns are, 
however, derivatives, either from verbs or adjectives. The signifi¬ 
cation of those derived from verbs corresponds with the signifi¬ 
cation of the conjugation, or particular part of the verb from 
whence the derivation is taken. Thus, soratra, a writing, 
forms the verb manoratra ; the participial noun of this is fano- 
ratra, the mode of writing, (as whether from left to right, or 
from right to left;) the noun of the agent is mpanoratra, a writer; 
the passive participial form is fanoratana, the instrument of 
writing, as the pen, the desk, &c. : anatra, instruction; mia- 
natra, to learn ; fianarana , means of instruction, book, copy, 
lesson, &c.; mpianatra, a scholar; mpampianatra, one causing 
