Abstract
The goal of this paper is to draw attention to the loss of linguistic features found in regional varieties, a major cause of which is standardization. Data from some Malagasy languages—representing just a small portion of their linguistic features—reveal diversity at both micro- and macro-levels. I will present these data with comments on their relevance to the reconstruction of linguistic features in their earlier stages, showing that their loss due to standardization would not only detract from the richness of the languages, the main aspect associated with language loss, but also deprive us of information vital to reconstructing the languages’ earlier stages.
