Welcome!

Hello, Kaluvau, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on discussion pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or ask your question on this page and then place {{help me}} before the question. Again, welcome! Victuallers (talk) 20:21, 12 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

Jean Ralaimongo edit

What a nice thank you note. Thats brilliant. Its a pity our paths didn't pass earlier as I ve just finished running a multi-lingual challenge. I'm very proud of this type of article and I learn a lot whilst writing it. Victuallers (talk) 20:20, 12 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

you are welcome Victuallers : can you tell me more about this "multi-lingual challenge" please ?
Sure - it involved editors who were here and the rules were here. If you fancy a quick translate then Derby Museums and Art Gallery has no version in Matagasy and if you want to play with the new style codes then you need to look at QRpedia. Hope you think thats interesting as we have no editors as far south as you! Victuallers (talk) 20:46, 12 September 2011 (UTC)Reply
thank you for these precious infos, i will read them carrefully
if you are interested in music and if new multi-lingual challenges appear in the future, i wrote -under the pseudo hiranunja- some new articles about jazz in madagascar in french (not yet evaluated), which could be translated in english...

Kaluvau (talk) 21:14, 12 September 2011 (UTC)Reply


Sri Lanka and Madagascar history relations? edit

A lot of Merina (Malagasy) vocabularies like share in common with sanskrit: Lapa, Ruva: palace; cattle: jomoka/gomukh (which come from the sanskrit "go"=cow and "mukh"=head); rice: vari; dog: alika; young woman: kala; elite: sangha...Do you get the same in Sri Lanka ?

Ayubowan. (may your life be long)
First I must say that I am no expert; just a student and an enthusiast in history. My knowledge is :very limited and I know almost nothing of Madagascar. But there are a few things that many Sri Lankan :people know. 'Madagascar' can be interpreted as 'with trees in the middle' in Sinhala. And as you :After that most of the population moved South and others North (almost destroyed our civilisation). :And also we do have Buddhism, rice and outrigger canoes. Sri Lanka, India, Australia and Madagascar :used to be connected by ground long ago.
And do you have substantial evidence to associate Sri Lanka to the Malagasy Merina nobility? And was :there really Buddhism in Madagascar? I saw an image of a Bodhi tree from the Merina king's palace at :your article (which possibly you uploaded). Then why doesn't the Madagascar article say anything of :it?
Anyway, that's enough for now. Please answer me as soon as possible.
Theruwan Saranai. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Svm1 63 (talkcontribs) 20:40, 24 May 2008 (UTC)Reply
I will read those articles and reply to you.--Lanka07 (talk) 18:08, 2 June 2008 (UTC)Reply
ayubowan
i am deeply interested in this issue and in the outcomes of your researches on this subject :
1. thank you for the information of a possible sinhalese etymology of the name "madagascar" : it's the first time i hear it. what i knew i s that the name have been historically given by marco polo ::who learend it by seaferer...
2. as far as i know there was not buddhism in madagascar (i mean a writen testimony but one can see "indian buddhism and hindouism cultural markers" since at least 1300 : ficus religiosa planted in every noble and royal court, indian manner for saluting in the past (by joining the hands), a lot of sanskrit vocable adopted (the sankrit "tani", "earth", gave "tany" in malagasy), ancient hindouist lunar solar calendar, the ancient tradition of ordeal of a "bad birth sign baby" by placing him in the centre of a cattle park portal (which is also a north indian especially tradition), and the last but not the least, a lot of indian-origin names in malagasy past and current name, especially names begining by the "ra-" prefixe : rabari (rabary in malagasy), raman (mg ramanana), rajendra (mg rasendra), rangha (mg rangahy), rahari (mg rahary), one of the merina noble ancestor is tomara which is an indian rajput clan, etc.
3. just a surprise, the ancient salutation of merina for the kings was "trarantitra" "may your life be long" (the equivalent of your "ayubowan")
Kaluvau (talk) 20:50, 12 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

History of Madagascar edit

Hi Kaluvau, Thanks for contributing to the History of Madagascar page. It's an article that needs lots of attention and while it's on my radar (I've been doing most of the Madagascar culture and history pages here), it's still a bit far down on my list and I appreciate seeing someone else take some interest in it. That being said, much of the content you've added is unsupported. Some of it looks like it may be too close to source language. As it is after your edits, there is an even stronger emphasis on the Austronesian immigrations and subsequent migrations but not much discussion about the actual history of the people living on the island - what they did, how they lived, and why.

Are you planning on adding references to substantiate your changes? It's become a bit confusing because you've added new information where an old citation exists, and that gives the impression that the new information you included is substantiated by the old citation when it may not in fact be so. I encourage you to keep with your edits but be sure to add the citations with page numbers and expand further on the aspects of the article not related to the migrations to the island. Also, this distinction between Vezo and Vazimba is one I haven't seen argued in any other source materials, so it will definitely need to be substantiated. Traditionally it's argued that the Vazimba who were pushed out of the Highlands settled on the coast where they took the name Vezo. It's common knowledge that the Malagasy language is derived from Barito with loan words from several other languages (other Austronesian, lots of Arabic, French, English etc) so identifying the source of the names Vezo and Vazimba as evidence of something leans toward "original research" (not permitted here) and doesn't necessarily substantiate the arguments made in the article either. You might consider putting some of the information about the Vazimba into the actual Vazimba page if you can cite your sources and represent the information objectively.

It's really important to include your references as you're writing so we can have Madagascar articles that are accurate and objective. Much of the early history of Madagascar is not factually known but rather part of oral history and there are conflicting accounts, so we need to be careful not to present original research or state theories as facts. Lemurbaby (talk) 10:00, 30 October 2011 (UTC)Reply

Audio barnstar for you! edit

  The Audio Barnstar
Thank you for your incredible contributions on the Music of Madagascar page. You more than deserve a hundred of these, but that would take up too much space. ;) Lemurbaby (talk) 04:04, 25 November 2011 (UTC)Reply
  The Africa Award
Awarded to Kaluvau for fantastic contributions to articles about Madagascar. Lemurbaby (talk) 04:10, 25 November 2011 (UTC)Reply

Next Mada FA articles, seeking resources edit

Hi Kaluvau (I have to correct myself every time I write kalovao!),

  • I hereby, Kaluvau, give you the official authorization (1) to customize my international pseudo in your own culture, language, and personal feeling, (2) to use it respectfully in accordance with the rules in force in your own imaginary world Kaluvau (talk) 23:22, 27 November 2011 (UTC)Reply

It's been a crazy month at work, but I'm about to have four blessed weeks of vacation, so I'll spend some time working on a few more Mada articles to bring them to GA or FA.

  • Good luck! (And happy "hollidays" btw)

Top priority for GA is the article on Rainilaiarivony (which is the only article currently listed as a "vital article" (albeit tier 4) about a Malagasy person.

  • Who decides about the "Vitality" of an article? As far as Rainilaiarivony, I understand as he marked Madagascar's 19th century.

They also have Madagascar and Antananarivo listed as vital articles;

  • Are you sure? But I thought Ambodiangezoka and Midongy Atsimo were more important...

I'll keep working on Madagascar but don't want to tackle Antananarivo yet. I think the latter will involve making a map at minimum and lots of research, which will be fun eventually, but I'd like to finish working on the Merina royal line first. So I'm looking at getting Ranavalona I and Ranavalona III to FA - they are the two royalty articles I think are closest to that caliber.

  • Good

My concern with both is that there may not be adequate discussion of what they actually DID during their reigns - key events in their reigns and the actions they took to manage these situations. I also think more should be said about the heredity of these queens. As it is, the importance of their lineage and its relationship to the royal family as a whole is unclear,

  • Personnally, about Mavo "adala" (Ranavalona I), there wasn't really important things in her life apart her death (but if one day I learn she has repented after all her murders and executions, I would mention this event). As far as Ranavalona III, it was only her mariage with Rainlay, as this later took almost all decisions in her place (I exagerate just a bit). But, okay, I will try to see if I can find some good references to answer all your questionning here, but I don't promise anything about the results.

and there is also the need to highlight the importance of Ambatomanoina and contrast it with Ambohimanga (another article that desperately needs attention).

  • Okay, because of its despair whose cries went up to me, I'll read Ambohimanga and will try a critic (be patient please)

You proposed several historical references that I'd love to be able to consult... especially the Firaketana and Tantaran'i Madagasikara isam-paritra, if only I could understand Malagasy better. Here's an idea to realize over the course of the years to come: you translate these two into English (I can copy edit)

  • Are you serious? I couldn't help, I caught a laughter for the joke: I'm sure you have a certain idea of how many pages the Firaketana Encyclopedia in several volumes contains? And yet the TMIP is less thick, it's also a great piece...You do not doubt anything! Ideally it's a brilliant idea and a very important project, but honestly, realistically, the best thing I personnally can do is to translate SOME important/vital articles/chapters from them. For example, priority to the WP titles you cited above. It can be possible but not now as for me.
And btw, we can here also add to this list of priority sources to be translated/synthesized:
  • The Rakibolana Rakipahalala (the more recent Malagasy Encyclopedia from the Accadémie Malgache team: 1000 pages, only 500 copies, I don't have it),
  • The Rakibolana of Régis Rajemisa Raolison (partially retranscribed here).

and I'll translate the Tantara into English

  • Great!

(and you verify the accuracy of the translation and provide footnotes for cultural/historical explanation). :)

  • Wonderful! And in what future life would you like me to do that? In the 7th or the 12th? (of course assuming positively I reincarnated in human form again at that time)... But I have already thought about this project: it's an important one. Like my proposal above, the better is first to translate the priority chapters of TA that we need for WP.

Fortunately in a week I will be at the Library of Congress, which will be my best opportunity to access resources for a long time, and I should be able to obtain an electronic copy of Pierre Verin's "Madagascar". Lemurbaby (talk) 05:55, 27 November 2011 (UTC)Reply

  • Okay, tell me the results of your fishing, I'm sure you'll come up with some good things Kaluvau (talk) 23:23, 27 November 2011 (UTC)Reply

FYI - Madagascar article fully revised edit

Hi Kaluvau, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and that your new year is off to a bright start. I had a wonderful relaxing time with my friends in Paris and hope to see them again in Mada this time when I go there in August to visit my family. I know you may not be on Wikipedia as much anymore, but if you do see this message I've just nominated the article on Madagascar for GA. If it passes, it will set the standard for the Mada articles in other language versions of Wikipedia. If you have the time to review in light of objectivity and representativeness in terms of how it portrays Mada to the world, I would welcome your comments. BTW I've added a few new articles, on Elie Rajaonarison and Moraingy, that you might also want to review. I hope you're still working on uploading an English version of your Jazz in Madagascar article - it's much needed! All the best, Lemurbaby (talk) 07:43, 28 January 2012 (UTC)Reply