«METHODS IN MALAGASY DIALECTOLOGY»

Ileana Paul, University of Western Ontario.

The aim of the workshop is to discuss variation in the dialects spoken in Madagascar. Official Malagasy is based on the Merina dialect of the central plateau region and is what is uniformly taught throughout Madagascar. The standard language has also been the focus of most major linguistic studies of Malagasy. However, with over 17 million speakers, there is tremendous variation among dialects of Malagasy that are sometimes non-mutually intelligible. Although some grammars and dictionaries exist, little cross-dialectal comparisons have been made.

The workshop will provide an opportunity for linguists working on different aspects of Malagasy in different frameworks to come together and discuss their findings.

Presentations will be 20 minutes in length, followed by a 10-minute discussion period. Please note that there could also be sessions for poster presentations depending on participants’ interest.