It is possible to search within any one of the three basic categories: roots, forms, data. For example, if you are interested in the root adina ‘question’, you will click on “roots” on the portal page. You then can enter adina in the box under “primary criterion”. You then click the “search” button. The result actually turns up two different possible roots. You click on the root that interests you (adina) and the next screen presents the entry for adina, with information such as its meaning and category.
The search may use different criteria – e.g. the root itself, the English translation, the category. For example, you can search for all the noun roots in the database. You may also combine criteria to narrow down your search. For example, you can search for all the forms that have the root sasa ‘wash’ and that are AT (Actor Topic). You do this by selecting “root” as the primary criterion and entering sasa. You then select “description” as the secondary criterion and enter AT. The sample selection in the portal gives the output of a typical search.
It is also possible to add new roots, forms and data, but this function is only accessible to researchers with passwords. If you are a linguist with an interest in Malagasy and you would like to contribute your data, please contact Ileana Paul (ileana at uwo.ca).