[1] In its use of metaphor and allusion it resembles another type of poetry, the Malay pantun, and Fox[2] suggests "it seems likely the Merina brought with them a Malayo-Polynesian poetic tradition" to Madagascar.
The French writer Jean Paulhan, who stayed in Madagascar from 1908 to 1910, made an intensive study of the hainteny and published a book of translations in 1913.
Both of these two oral traditions remain integral parts of Malagasy daily life, where they are pronounced at such events as weddings, funerals, births and famadihana and constitute an essential component of hiragasy performances.
While the exact number of existing ohabolana is unknown, the largest published collection includes over 6,500 of them relating to all aspects of life and particularly the human condition.
Fox has described ohabolana as constituting "a universal philosophy of life that transcends its Malagasy context and merits admiration as one of man's noble attempts to construct a valid moral and philosophical framework for his existence.
Their form persists unchanged from ancient times even when grammar and syntax of contemporary speech have since evolved because, as Fox notes, altering an ohabolana would constitute disregard for the venerated ancestors who are their originators.
Aza asesiky ny fitia tanteraka, ka tsy mahalala ny ranonorana ho avy.—Don't be so much in love that you can't tell when the rain is coming.The tradition of kabary in Madagascar, which predates Merina King Andrianampoinimerina (1787–1810), nonetheless owes much of its modern form, usage and meaning to standards set at his court.