Zafisoro dialect
{{short description|Austronesian language dialect of Madagascar}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Zafisoro
| nativename =
| states = {{ubl|Madagascar}}
| ethnicity = Zafisoro people
| nation =
| speakers = 146,000
| date = 2025
| ref = {{cite web
|title=Zafisoro in Madagascar
|url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16079/MA
|website=Joshua Project
|access-date=1 July 2025
}}
| familycolor = Austronesian
| fam2 = Malayo‑Polynesian
| fam3 = Western Indonesian
| fam4 = Barito
| fam5 = East Barito
| fam6 = Central-Eastern Malagasic
| fam7 = Plateau Malagasy
| fam8 = Antemoro–Antefasy
| iso1 = Mg
| iso3 = Plt
| isoexception = dialect
| glotto = zafi1234
| glottorefname = Zafisoro
| lingua = 31-LDA-bc
| script = {{ubl|Latin script (Malagasy alphabet)}}
}}
Zafisoro is a coastal dialect of the Malagasy language spoken by the Zafisoro people in the northwestern part of the Farafangana District in southeastern Madagascar. It is considered a variety of Antefasy.
Classification
Zafisoro belongs to the Austronesian languages family, under the Malayo-Polynesian languages branch. It is part of the Western Indonesian languages, specifically the Barito languages group and its Eastern Barito subgroup.
Within Malagasy, Zafisoro falls under the Central-Eastern Malagasic cluster, more precisely in the Plateau Malagasy division and the Antemoro–Antefasy subgroup.
Geographic distribution
The dialect is spoken in and around the localities of Evato, Mahafasa Afovoany, Amporoforo, and Ambalatany. These areas represent the core territory of the Zafisoro within the Farafangana District.{{cite web
|title=Prime Magazine, March 2020 (PDF)
|url=https://www.primemedia.international/pdf/Prime-Magazine-March-20.pdf
|website=Prime Media International
|access-date=1 July 2025
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Languages of Madagascar
Category:Austronesian languages
Category:Verb–object–subject languages
{{Austronesian-lang-stub}}