Sihanaka dialect

Sihanaka is a dialect of Malagasy spoken by Sihanaka people in the region of Lake Alaotra.

Classification

Sihanaka is an austronesian language part of Central-Eastern Malagasic and part of the Plateau branch of Malagasy language along with Merina, Antefasy,Antemoro, Tanala and Betsileo.

The Sihanaka dialect is considered an older form of Merina, retaining broader and more provincial features. While largely intelligible with Merina, it preserves vocabulary now obsolete in Imerina, such as mivony and manjary.
Demonstrative prefixes like tak- and ak- are still used in Sihanaka, as in other dialects of the Northern Malagasy group, as well as in Southern Betsimisaraka. In contrast, Merina has lost these prefixes.
Sihanaka also shares the word agnambo for "up / above" with Tsimihety, Northern Betsimisaraka, and Southern Betsimisaraka, while Merina uses ambony.

In the Alaotra-Mangoro Region of Madagascar, the Sihanaka dialect is chiefly spoken within three districts — Ambatondrazaka District, Amparafaravola District, and Andilamena District — which together form the historical heartland of the Sihanaka people. It is also the most commonly spoken dialect in the city of Ambatondrazaka.