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Malagasy

[mal-uh-gas-ee]
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noun, plural Mal·a·gas·y, Mal·a·gas·ies for 1.
  1. a member of any of various peoples native to the island of Madagascar.
  2. the Austronesian language of Madagascar.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for malagasy

Historical Examples

  • Andrianòro tried this device in the Malagasy story; but it was unsuccessful.

    The Science of Fairy Tales

    Edwin Sidney Hartland

  • “Nothing here,” said the leading man, of course in Malagasy.

    The Fugitives

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • Of course Mark said this in remarkably bad Malagasy, but Mamba understood.

    The Fugitives

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • My Malagasy words are few, but love does not require many words!

    The Fugitives

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • The host smiled as he turned over the leaves of a Malagasy hymn-book.

    The Fugitives

    R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for malagasy

Malagasy

noun
  1. plural -gasy or -gasies a native or inhabitant of Madagascar
  2. the official language of Madagascar belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family
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adjective
  1. of or relating to Madagascar, its people, or their language
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for malagasy

Malagasy

"pertaining to Madagascar," large island off the coast of Africa, 1835, apparently a native alteration of Madagascar.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper