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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Comoros

Languages of Comoros

See language map.
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, Jumhuriyat al-Qumural-Itthadiyah Al-Islamiyah, Comores. 798,000. National or official languages: Standard Arabic, French. Islands of Grande Comore, Mohéli, and Anjouan. Literacy rate: 15%–46%. Immigrant languages: Réunion Creole French (500). Information mainly from M. Chamanga and N. Guernie 1967; H. Chagnoux and A. Naribou 1980; H. and M. Ottenheimer 1976. The number of individual languages listed for Comoros is 6. Of those, all are living languages.
Arabic, Standard

[arb]  Widespread. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic 
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Comorian, Mwali

[wlc] 27,200 (2000). Population total all countries: 28,700. Moheli Island. Also in Madagascar, Réunion. Alternate names: Shimwali.  Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40) 
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Comorian, Ndzwani

[wni] 264,000 (2000). Population total all countries: 275,000. Anjouan Island. Also in Madagascar, Réunion. Alternate names: Shindzwani.  Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40) 
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Comorian, Ngazidja

[zdj] 300,000 in Comoros. Population total all countries: 312,000. Grande Comore. Also in Madagascar, Réunion. Alternate names: Ngazidja, Shingazidja.  Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40) 
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French

[fra] 1,700 in Comoros (1993).  Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French 
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Malagasy

[plt] 700 in Comoros (Johnstone 1993).  Alternate names: Official Malagasy, Plateau Malagasy, Standard Malagasy.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy 
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