Malagasy Language

Manahoana! = this is the first word learned by those who have an interest in the learning Malagasy.

The Malagasy language is the westernmost member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. It is related to the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and specifically to the East Barito languages spoken in Borneo with apparent influence from early Old Malay.

Though it is really only spoken on Madagascar and a few neighboring islands, there are still dialects of this language. These dialects are divided into eastern and western, with the main eastern dialect being Merina and the main western dialect Sakalava.

This website provides some basic information for English speakers with any level of interest, especially to people who may want to visit Madagascar or the Comoros.

The following guide will let you try out some basic Malagasy:

Learn Malagasy

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African Languages on Mofeko