920 km away
A Bantu language cluster of the Comoros archipelago and Mayotte, closely related to Swahili. Four mutually intelligible varieties, one per major island; around 1 million speakers.
Malagasy
The Austronesian language of Madagascar, descended from settlers who crossed the Indian Ocean from Borneo around 1,500 years ago. The westernmost outpost of the Austronesian family.
Shareable facts
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Malagasy?
Malagasy is a dialect of the Malagasy language.
Where is Malagasy spoken?
Malagasy is primarily spoken in Madagascar.
Which region is Malagasy associated with?
Malagasy is part of the East & Southern Africa region on DialectAtlas.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →971 km away
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A French-based creole and the everyday language of Mauritius, spoken by virtually the entire population alongside English and French. Closely related to Seychellois and Réunion creoles.
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A Bantu language and the national language of Malawi, also widely spoken in eastern Zambia and northern Mozambique under the name Nyanja. Around 14 million speakers.
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The Tanzania-based literary and educational standard of Swahili. Modelled on the Zanzibari Kiunguja variety; Tanzania's national language and a continental lingua franca.
1,724 km away
The Portuguese of Mozambique. A national lingua franca shaped by long contact with Bantu languages including Makhuwa, Sena, and Tsonga.