470 
APPENDIX. 
sake o£ euphony, several consonants are changed when they follow 
other consonants: thus, f changes into p after m; h changes into 
It after n; l changes into d after n , and t changes into d after n; 
v changes into b after m ; v changes into d after n , and z changes 
into j after n ; nr assumes d , and becomes ndr ; and t is inserted 
after n before s , as in sivy (intsivy ), “ nine times.” 
The syllables, with the exceptions above specified, usually con¬ 
sist of a consonant and a vowel; and the uniform vowel termina¬ 
tions of the words gives a peculiar softness and harmony to the 
tones of native speech. The vowels at the end of the words are 
often so slightly sounded as to be scarcely perceptible to the ear 
of a stranger unacquainted with the structure of the language. 
There is but one article in the language <— ny, which is definite; 
the noun without the article is indefinite. 
The nouns are roots, derivatives, or compounds, and admit of no 
inflections to signify number, case, or gender. These are indicated 
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 laky 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 
