Menaka
/meˈnaka/noun
In Malagasy, menaka means oil, grease, or fat, especially an oily substance used for cooking, medicine, or bodily application.
Did you know?Menaka reflects Madagascar’s Austronesian linguistic ancestry, showing that centuries before European contact, Malagasy speech was already connected to languages spoken across island Southeast Asia.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian
PMP
*minyak
“Oil or oily substance; the reconstructed ancestral form of the word.”
Old Malay
Old Malay
minyak
“Oil, grease, or fat.”
Classical Malay
Malay
minyak
“Oil, including substances used in cooking, medicine, and perfumery.”
Early Malagasy
Malagasy
menaka
“Oil, grease, or fat; adapted into Malagasy through the language’s Austronesian inheritance.”
Modern Malagasy
Malagasy
menaka
“Oil, grease, fat, or an oily preparation.”
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