THE MALAGASY LANGUAGE,. 
505 
to learn, i. e. a teacher. Aro, defence; farovana, means of 
defence, weapons, &c.; dera, praise; midera y to praise; Jide- 
rana , means of praise, a hymn, &c.: rafitra , construction, 
build ; mandrajitra, to build ; fandrafetana , tools, implements 
used in building. 
Of abstract nouns, comparatively few exist in the language. 
Many, however, are formed by merely prefixing ha to the 
adjective of quality: e.g. 
maro—many, much; hamaro—abundance, 
fotsy—white ; hafotsy—whiteness, 
maitso—green; hamaitso—greenness. 
In the above, and in many similar cases, the adjective is a 
root in the language; but if, as it frequently occurs, the adjec¬ 
tive itself is compounded of a root and a formative prefix, the 
ha cannot again precede that, without also changing the termi¬ 
nation, and making a concrete noun of a participial form : e.g. 
aizina—darkness; maizina—dark. 
ha-maizin-ana—darkness; (i. e. of some particular time, 
place, or circumstance, mentioned or understood.) 
zava—light, made to be light by some one. 
mazava—clear, light, being in that state, 
hazavana—light, (sub.) admits ny. 
To this class of nouns may be added those formed by faha 
prefixed to the root; these are, however usually concrete, and 
very frequently of a generic character; as, instead of ny haza¬ 
vana, the lightness, ny fahazavana, the means of light and 
illumination, as the sun, moon, a candle, &c. This faha bears 
a relation to the maha, a prefix forming verbs, and will be found 
noticed in its place. It does not always imply cause or means, 
as in the above instance; as in 
fahatezerana—anger; from tezitra—angry, 
faharetana—endurance ; from maharitra—to endure. 
The distinction is often nicely drawn between nouns in ha 
and those in faha , but the distinction constitutes one of the 
excellencies, and is strictly a philosophical excellency of the 
language; thus 
ratsy—bad ; haratsiana—badness, wickedness in the ab¬ 
stract. 
faharatsiana—the act, the commission of 
wickedness. 
tsara—good ; hatsarana—goodness in the abstract. 
fahatsarana—goodness in active operation. 
e.g. hatsarana, is a quality or perfection in God—his essen¬ 
tial goodness. 
ny fahatsarany, is his goodness in action—the goodness 
he bestows, the benevolence he displays. 
