Tandroy dialect

Tandroy
Tandroy
Native to	Madagascar;
Region	Androy
Ethnicity	Antandroy people
Native speakers	1,442,000
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Barito languages Malagasy Southern Malagasic Tandroy; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin script (Malagasy alphabet);
Language codes
ISO 639-3	tdx
Glottolog	tand1256
Linguasphere	31-LDA-ca
	Antandroy dialect sample 1 Antandroy women expressing gratitude to the Centre technique agroécologique du Sud (CTAS) project for enabling the education of their children. ; Antandroy dialect sample 2 A Tandroy woman speaks about her involvement in an anti-desertification project in Itokoala, a coastal area of Androy.

Tandroy (also called Antandroy or Ntandroy) is a dialect of the Malagasy language spoken primarily by the Antandroy people in the Androy region of southern Madagascar. It is close to Mahafaly and Karimbola, the latter being considered a dialect of Tandroy.

Classification

Tandroy is part of the Austronesian languages family, within the Malayo-Polynesian languages branch. It falls under the Barito languages group and is classified specifically as a member of the Southern Malagasic subgroup of Malagasy dialects, alongside Karimbola, Vezo, Masikoro, Southern Sakalava and Mahafaly.^[2]

Geographic distribution

The Tandroy dialect is spoken mainly in the Androy region, the southernmost part of Madagascar, by approximately 1,442,000 people (as of 2025). It is also spoken by the Antandroy diaspora in Bongolava and northern regions of Madagascar.^[3]

History

Tandroy is among the Malagasy dialects documented in the early 18th century. It is the dialect that Robert Drury (sailor), an English sailor, learned after being shipwrecked in the Androy region in 1702, where he lived as a slave until his escape. Drury fled northward through Fiherenana and later reached Menabe, from where he eventually sailed back to England in 1717. All of these regions spoke dialects closely related to Tandroy, which helped him communicate throughout his journey. His memoir includes a very valuable list of over 500 Malagasy words, believed to reflect the Tandroy dialect and other southern varieties.^[4]

Vocabulary

**Tandroy Vocabulary Table with Standard Malagasy and Gloss**
#	Gloss	Tandroy	Standard Malagasy
Family
1	Wife / Husband	Valy	Vady
Pronouns
2	I / Me	Raho / Zaho	Izaho
3	You (singular)	Rehe / Riha / Ihe	Ianao
4	He	Reke / Ihe	Izy
5	We	Tika / Tikagne / Zahay	Isika / Izahay
6	You (plural)	Nahareo / Nareo / Inahareo	Ianareo
7	They	Iereo / Iareo	Zareo
Qualities & Descriptions
8	Good / Beautiful	Soa	Tsara
9	Only	Avao	Ihany
10	Taboo	Faly	Fady
Conditionals & Connectors
11	If	Lehe	Raha
Actions & Verbs
12	To shoot	Mitifitse	Mitifitra
13	To enter	Militse	Miditra
14	To exit	Miakatse	Mivoaka
15	To follow	Magnorike	Manaraka
Directions
16	South	Antimo	Atsimo

Some Tandroy proverbs

Tandroy proverb	Merina proverb	English translation
Ana-tsiriry tsy toroan-dagno	Zanak'omby tsy ampianarin-domano	A calf is not taught by the tail of another calf
Faly lambo i Tsipioke, tsy homagne ty vente'e faie midrofotse ty ro'e	Mihambo ho tsy tia vary mohaka nefa miletra sosoa be rano	Proud to dislike rice but always licking the broth
Tandriondriono maola mahazo ty marentane	Tsingeringerin'ankizy ka ny lehibe avy no fanina	Children quarrel, but the eldest wins
Tsy to rehake ty tsy manam-bangovango	Izay manan-tsira mahay mahandro	Whoever has spice knows how to cook
Tsy mote ty havelo hamonje ze miroro	Aza manao ariary zato am-pandriana	Don’t put a hundred ariary on the bed
Nahalavamoko i akanga y o, o fitaoagne o	Ny mahery tsy maody tsy ela velona	The strong who does not yield will not live long

References

^ "Antandroy in Madagascar". Joshua Project. Retrieved 28 June 2025. Population 1,442,000; Christianity 35%, Evangelical 12%
^ Bright, William (1992). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. p. 205. ISBN 9780195051964.
^ Molet, Louis (1957). Petit guide de toponymie malgache (PDF) (in French). Tananarive: Scientific Research Institute of Madagascar, Department of Human Sciences. pp. map (unnumbered) + p. 8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) The map is placed before the numbered pages.
^ Drury, Robert (1841). Missionary Vocabulary in the Language of Androy, Madagascar. American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. p. 284.

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[1] "Antandroy in Madagascar". Joshua Project. Retrieved 28 June 2025. Population 1,442,000; Christianity 35%, Evangelical 12%

[2] Bright, William (1992). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. p. 205. ISBN 9780195051964.

[3] Molet, Louis (1957). Petit guide de toponymie malgache (PDF) (in French). Tananarive: Scientific Research Institute of Madagascar, Department of Human Sciences. pp. map (unnumbered) + p. 8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) The map is placed before the numbered pages.

[4] Drury, Robert (1841). Missionary Vocabulary in the Language of Androy, Madagascar. American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. p. 284.

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