Malagasy, Plateau

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A language of Madagascar

ISO 639-3
plt
Alternate Names
Malagasy, Malgache, Official Malagasy, Standard Malagasy
Population

7,520,000 in Madagascar (2006). Population total all countries: 7,529,640.

Location

Central. Also in Comoros (Malagasy), Mayotte (Malagasy), Réunion (Malagasy), United States.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Provisional Constitution, Article 6), use limited in higher education.

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
Dialects

Betsileo, Bezanozano, Merina, Sihanaka, Tanala, Vakinankaritra. The most similar language outside Madagascar is Ma’anyan [mhy] in south Borneo (Kalimantan, Indonesia).

Typology

VOS

Language Development
Fully developed. Bible: 1835–1938.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Malagasy, Plateau
Writing
Braille script. Latin script, primary usage.
Other Comments

The standard is most similar to the Merina dialect, with loans incorporated from Bantu languages, Swahili [swh], Arabic, English, French. Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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