as before (f only adding the idea of habit) another noun is often put before it, to limit its meaning; as, tràno-fivavà-hana, 'a house for prayer.'
N.B.—Do not use the habitual noun of the agent (which always begins with mp-) for an agent not necessarily habitual. Ex.: mpamòno, 'a man who often and habitually murders,' a regular assassin; mamòno, 'a man who perhaps only once murders.'
The abstract nouns in ha- and faha- are really habitual modal nouns derived from verbs in màha-; they are similar in meaning, and are seldom used without the suffix pronoun -ny.
The difference in meaning between these abstract nouns, according to Père Webber, is as follows:—
hatsàra shows intrinsic goodness, worth.
hàtsaràna shows extrinsic goodness, or goodness embodied in deeds, good conduct.
fàhatsaràna shows goodness as the source or principle of good deeds.
Cases of Nouns.
There are no declensions in the Malagasy language, so that where the case of a noun is not left to be found out from the context, one or other of the following case-indications are necessary:—
