Malagasy is the official language of Madagascar and is closely related to languages of Borneo.
Malagasy belongs to the Austronesian language family, a classification that reflects Madagascar’s deep historical connections with Island Southeast Asia. Its closest relatives are generally associated with the Barito languages of southern Borneo, even though Madagascar lies off the southeastern coast of Africa.
The language reached Madagascar through maritime migration across the Indian Ocean. Over time, Malagasy developed regional varieties and absorbed vocabulary from African languages, Arabic, French, and other contact languages. Merina, spoken in the central highlands, strongly influenced the standardized variety used in national institutions.
Malagasy uses a Latin-based orthography today. It is commonly spoken alongside French, which has an important role in administration and education. Malagasy’s Austronesian classification is therefore distinct from most major languages of mainland eastern Africa.