Algonquian
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Algonquian is a family of Native American languages that were spoken across a wide area of North America, primarily in the northeastern and central regions. It matters because it represents a significant linguistic and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples whose languages and societies shaped the history of the continent.
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The Algonquian languages (/æl.ˈɡɒŋ.k(w)i.ən/ al-GONG-k(w)ee-ən; also Algonkian) are a branch of the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Indigenous Ojibwe language (Chippewa), which is a senior member of the Algonquian language family. The term Algonquin has been suggested to derive from the Wolastoqey word elakómkwik ( pronounced [ɛlæˈɡomoɡwik]), meaning 'they are our relatives/allies'.
Speakers of Algonquian languages stretch from the east coast of North America to the Rocky Mountains. The proto-language from which all of the languages of the family descend, Proto-Algonquian, was spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago. There is no scholarly consensus about where this language was spoken.
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Algonquian languagesAlgonquian peoplesAquinnah, MassachusettsFirst Nations languages in CanadaGreat Lakes tribal cultureIndigenous languages of North AmericaIndigenous languages of the North American eastern woodlandsIndigenous languages of the North American PlainsIndigenous languages of the North American SoutheastIndigenous languages of the North American SubarcticLanguages of the United States