Tavy
/ˈtɑː.vi/noun
A system of slash-and-burn or shifting cultivation practiced especially in Madagascar.
Did you know?Tavy is a Malagasy loanword used in English environmental writing, but its deeper linguistic ancestry is uncertain, so claims linking it to occult or magical roots would be speculation.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern period
Malagasy
tavy
“A local term for cultivation involving the clearing and burning of vegetation.”
19th Century
English
tavy
“A Malagasy agricultural practice described in travel, colonial, and geographical accounts.”
20th Century
English
tavy
“A system of shifting cultivation, especially associated with Madagascar.”
Modern English
English
tavy
“Slash-and-burn agriculture in Madagascar, often discussed in relation to deforestation and soil exhaustion.”
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