Sorabe, or Sora-be, is an alphabet based on Arabic used to transcribe the Malagasy language (belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian language family) and the Antemoro Malagasy dialect in particular dating from the 17th century. Researchers are still hypothesizing about the origins of this transcription system. "Sorabe" means literally "large writings" from Arabic "sura" (writing) and Malagasy "be" (large).
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- Sorabe, or Sora-be, is an alphabet based on Arabic used to transcribe the Malagasy language (belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian language family) and the Antemoro Malagasy dialect in particular dating from the 17th century. Researchers are still hypothesizing about the origins of this transcription system. "Sorabe" means literally "large writings" from Arabic "sura" (writing) and Malagasy "be" (large). This denomination might point to the existence of a previous writing system with smaller characters of Sanskrit origin used in South East Asia as it is evidenced in some Malagasy words. Traditionally, a large number of researchers have speculated about the fact that this writing system was introduced through commercial contacts of Malagasy with Muslims. However, more studies claim that this writing scheme might have been possibly introduced by Javanese Malagasy ancestors. There are striking similarities between "Sorabe" and "Pegon" writings. A couple hundred old manuscripts have survived to this day though the oldest may have been written no earlier than the 17th century. Those "Sorabe" are bound in leather and the texts are named after the colour of the skin. Most of the texts contain magical formulas but there are also some historical texts concerning the origin of some of the tribes of the south east of Madagascar. These origins are traced to Mecca or the Prophet Mohammed even though the practice of Islam is nowhere seen in the texts. Sorabe eventually spread across the island beginning in the 17th century and the Merina king Andrianampoinimerina called for Antemoro scribes to teach the children of his court to read and write. This is how the future king Radama I could read and write from his childhood.
- Le sora-be est un alphabet d'origine arabe adapté pour transcrire les langues du sud-est de Madagascar, en particulier l'antemoro. Plusieurs centaines de manuscrits anciens nous sont parvenus bien que les plus vieux d'entre eux ne semblent pas remonter au-delà du XVII siècle. La plupart des textes comportent des formules magiques mais on y trouve aussi quelques récits à caractères historiques rapportant l'origine de certains groupes humains de la région. Des origines que l'on fait parfois remonter jusqu'à La Mecque ou même à Mahomet, bien qu'en règle générale, la pratique même de l'islam fasse ici défaut, ce qui constitue un fait assez exceptionnel. La connaissance du sora-be avait commencé à se répandre un peu partout à Madagascar dès le XVIII siècle et le roi merina Andrianampoinimerina fit venir auprès de lui des scribes antemoro pour initier à l'écriture des enfants de la cour. C'est ainsi que dès son enfance, le futur roi Radama savait lire et écrire. Relevons enfin que l'appellation de sora-be, signifiant littéralement « écriture de grosse taille » a pu faire émettre l'hypothèse de l'existence auparavant d'un autre type d'écriture, aux caractères plus petits, que l'on pense être d'origine indienne, comme celle largement utilisée en Asie du Sud-Est.
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- Sorabe, or Sora-be, is an alphabet based on Arabic used to transcribe the Malagasy language (belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian language family) and the Antemoro Malagasy dialect in particular dating from the 17th century. Researchers are still hypothesizing about the origins of this transcription system. "Sorabe" means literally "large writings" from Arabic "sura" (writing) and Malagasy "be" (large).
- Le sora-be est un alphabet d'origine arabe adapté pour transcrire les langues du sud-est de Madagascar, en particulier l'antemoro. Plusieurs centaines de manuscrits anciens nous sont parvenus bien que les plus vieux d'entre eux ne semblent pas remonter au-delà du XVII siècle. La plupart des textes comportent des formules magiques mais on y trouve aussi quelques récits à caractères historiques rapportant l'origine de certains groupes humains de la région.
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