The primary language spoken in Madagascar is Malagasy, which is of Austronesian origin and is spoken throughout the island. Malagasy is the national language and one of the two official languages of Madagascar, alongside French

. Malagasy belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family, closely related to languages spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It has several regional dialects, with the Merina dialect (spoken around the capital, Antananarivo) serving as the basis for Standard Malagasy used by the government and media

. French is the other official language, spoken by about a quarter of the population, mainly among the elites and in urban areas. French was introduced during the colonial period and remains important in education and government

. English was briefly an official language but currently holds a minor role, mainly in foreign relations and some urban communication

. In summary:

• Official languages: Malagasy and French
• Main language spoken by the population: Malagasy (with regional dialects)
• French: Widely used, especially in education and government
• English: Limited use, not currently official

This linguistic situation reflects Madagascar's unique Austronesian heritage combined with its colonial history