Languages of Madagascar
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Madagascar.]
Democratic Republic of Madagascar, Repoblika Demokratika Malagasy. 18,643,000. National or official languages: Standard Malagasy, French, English. Literacy rate: 46%. Immigrant languages: American Sign Language, Morisyen (4,000), Réunion Creole French (45,000). Also includes Arabic (20,000), Chinese (16,000). Information mainly from A. Ramer 1995; P. Verin, Kottak, and Gorlin 1969. Blind population: 40,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf institutions: 2. The number of individual languages listed for Madagascar is 17. Of those, all are living languages.
| Comorian, Mwali | [wlc]
1,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
Alternate names: Comores Swahili, Comoro, Komoro.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)
|
| Comorian, Ndzwani | [wni]
8,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
Alternate names: Comores Swahili, Comoro, Komoro.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)
|
| Comorian, Ngazidja | [zdj]
8,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
Alternate names: Comores Swahili, Comoro, Komoro.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)
|
| English | [eng]
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
|
| French | [fra]
18,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone 1993).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
|
| Madagascar Sign Language | [mzc]
180,000 (2006 SIL).
Dialects: Similar to Norwegian Sign Language.
Classification: Deaf sign language
|
| Malagasy | [mlg]
A macrolanguage.
Population total all countries: 14,736,900.
|
| Malagasy, Antankarana | [xmv]
330,000 (2006). North tip, Antsiranana Province.
Alternate names: Tankarana.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 71% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Bara | [bhr]
600,000 (2006 SIL). South central, Ibara, south of Betsileo, west of Tesaka, east of Masikoro, Anosy area and north, Mahafaly.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 69% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Masikoro | [msh]
550,000 (2006 SIL). Southwest, Toliara Province, Toliara and Morombe districts.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 72% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Northern Betsimisaraka | [bmm]
1,000,000 (2006 SIL). East coast, Toamasina Province, Mananara Avaratra, Soanierana-Ivongo, Fenoarivo Antsinana, Vavatenina, Toamasina districts.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Plateau | [plt]
7,520,000 in Madagascar (2006 SIL). Population total all countries: 7,528,900. Central. Also in Comoros, Réunion, United States.
Alternate names: Malagasy, Official Malagasy, Standard Malagasy.
Dialects: Merina, Betsileo, Sihanaka, Bezanozano, Tanala. The most similar language outside of Madagascar is Ma’anyan [mhy] in south Borneo (Kalimantan, Indonesia).
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Sakalava | [skg]
350,000 (2001 SIL). Northwest, Mahajanga Province, Maintirano, Morafenobe, Besalampy, Soalala, Mitsinjo, Ambato Boina, Marovoay, Mahajanga, Analalava districts; Antsiranana Province, Ambanja District.
Dialects: Northern Sakalava, Vezo.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Southern Betsimisaraka | [bjq]
1,830,000 (2006 SIL). East coast, Toamasina Province, Mahanoro District; Fianarantsoa Province, Nosy Varika, Mananjary, Manakara Atsimo districts.
Alternate names: Antesaka.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Tandroy-Mahafaly | [tdx]
1,000,000 (2006 SIL). South, Toliara Province, Beloha, Tsihombe, Ambovombe, Bekily districts.
Alternate names: Tandroy.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 62% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Tanosy | [txy]
510,000 (2006 SIL). Southeast coast; south of Onilahy River, south of Ibara and north of Androy, Mahafaly area and northeast.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 75% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Malagasy, Tsimihety | [xmw]
1,280,000 (2006 SIL). North central.
Alternate names: Tsimihety.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 68% with the Merina dialect of Plateau Malagasy [plt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
|
| Maore | [swb]
3,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
Alternate names: Comores Swahili, Comoro, Komoro, Maore Comorian.
Dialects: Shinzwani (Anjouan), Shimaore (Mayotte), Shimwali (Moheli), Shingazidja (Grand Comores).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)
|
Ethnologue: Web |
Ethnologue: Print |
Bibliography |
Publications Catalog |
Software |
Email Updates
Who we are |
Shopping cart |
Site search |
Site map |
Home
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | External links
Copyright © 2012 SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics)
