The s and the z are never confounded in Malagasy as in the English word surprise.
Double Consonants.—The following are commonly used:—
dr, dz (or j), tr, and ts. These have the force of single letters, and may begin a syllable or a word.
ng, mb, mp, also used often to begin words, seem to have arisen out of the fuller forms ang, amb, and amp, which still survive among other dialects than that of the Hovas: ex. Sihànaka, ambàmy = Hova, mbamy ('together with, including').
n and m are often used to close syllables:—
| n | is so | used | before | d, t, dr, dz (or j), tr, ts, g, and k. |
| m | ... | ... | ... | b or p. |
Hence the rule: when n or m in the body of a word (not a compound) is followed by another consonant, the n or m is the closing letter of the preceding syllable. With this one exception all syllables end in a vowel.
As n will combine only with d, g, h, and t, and m only with b or p, the only combinations of consonants allowable in the Malagasy language are the following:—
dr, dz (or j).
tr, ts.
mb, mp.
nd, ndr, ndz (or nj) ng, nk, nt, ntr, nts.
Hence the following euphonic changes among consonants become necessary:
| f | is replaced by | p. | r | is strengthened by | d, | becoming |
dr.
| ||
| h | .. | .. | k or g. | s | .. | .. | t, | .. |
ts.
|
| l | .. | .. | d. | z | .. | .. | d, | .. |
dz
|
| v | .. | .. | b. |
(or j).
| |||||
