Mahican language
Encyclopedia
Mahican is an extinct language
of the Eastern Algonquian
subgroup of the Algonquian
language family, itself a member of the Algic
language family.
Aboriginally, speakers of Mahican lived along the upper Hudson River
in New York
State, extending as far north as Lake Champlain
, east to the Green Mountains
in Vermont
, and west near Scoharie Creek in New York State. Conflict with Mohawk
s and European encroachment triggered displacement of the Mahicans. After a series of dislocations some Mahicans were forced to relocate to Wisconsin
in the 1820s and 1830s, while others moved to several communities in Canada
where they lost their Mahican identity.
Mahican became extinct in the early twentieth century, with the last recorded documentation of Mahican made in the 1930s.
Two distinct Mahican dialects have been identified, Moravian and Stockbridge. These two dialects emerged after 1740 as aggregations arising from the dislocation of Mahican and other groups. The extent of Mahican dialect variation prior to this period is uncertain.
The Stockbridge dialect emerged at Stockbridge, Massachusetts
, and included groups of New York Mahicans, and members of other linguistic groups such as Wappinger (a local Munsee band), Housatonic, Wyachtonok, and others. After a complex migration history, the Stockbridge group moved to Wisconsin, where they combined with Munsee
Delaware migrants from southwestern Ontario, and are now known as the Stockbridge-Munsee
.
The Moravian dialect arose from population aggregations centred at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Some Mahican groups that had been affiliated beginning in 1740 with the Moravian Church in New York and Connecticut moved in 1746 to Bethlehem. Another group affiliated with the Moravians moved to Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and subsequent to a massacre by settlers some members of these groups fled to Canada with Munsee Moravian converts, ultimately settling at what is now Moraviantown
, where they have completely merged with the dominant Delaware
population. Another group moved to Ohsweken at Six Nations, Ontario, where they merged with other groups at that location.
Mahican linguistic materials consist of a variety of materials collected by missionaries, linguists, and others, including an eighteenth-century manuscript dictionary compiled by Johann Schmick, a Moravian missionary. In the twentieth century linguists Truman Michelson and Morris Swadesh
collected some Mahican materials from surviving speakers in Wisconsin.
Mahican historical phonology
has been studied based upon the Schmick dictionary manuscript, tracing the historical changes affecting the pronunciation of words between Proto-Algonquian
and the Moravian dialect of Mahican, as reflected in Schmick’s dictionary. The similarities between Mahican and the Delaware languages Munsee and Unami
have been acknowledged in studies of Mahican linguistic history, and in one classification Mahican and the Delaware languages are assigned to a Delawaran subgroup of Eastern Algonquian.
Extinct language
An extinct language is a language that no longer has any speakers., or that is no longer in current use. Extinct languages are sometimes contrasted with dead languages, which are still known and used in special contexts in written form, but not as ordinary spoken languages for everyday communication...
of the Eastern Algonquian
Eastern Algonquian languages
The Eastern Algonquian languages constitute a subgroup of the Algonquian languages. Prior to European contact, Eastern Algonquian consisted of at least seventeen languages collectively occupying the Atlantic coast of North America and adjacent inland areas, from the Canadian Maritime provinces to...
subgroup of the Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
language family, itself a member of the Algic
Algic languages
The Algic languages are an indigenous language family of North America. Most Algic languages belong to the Algonquian family, dispersed over a broad area from the Rocky Mountains to Atlantic Canada...
language family.
Aboriginally, speakers of Mahican lived along the upper Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
State, extending as far north as Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, east to the Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and west near Scoharie Creek in New York State. Conflict with Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
s and European encroachment triggered displacement of the Mahicans. After a series of dislocations some Mahicans were forced to relocate to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in the 1820s and 1830s, while others moved to several communities in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where they lost their Mahican identity.
Mahican became extinct in the early twentieth century, with the last recorded documentation of Mahican made in the 1930s.
Two distinct Mahican dialects have been identified, Moravian and Stockbridge. These two dialects emerged after 1740 as aggregations arising from the dislocation of Mahican and other groups. The extent of Mahican dialect variation prior to this period is uncertain.
The Stockbridge dialect emerged at Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
, and included groups of New York Mahicans, and members of other linguistic groups such as Wappinger (a local Munsee band), Housatonic, Wyachtonok, and others. After a complex migration history, the Stockbridge group moved to Wisconsin, where they combined with Munsee
Munsee language
Munsee is an endangered language of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family, itself a branch of the Algic language family. Munsee is one of the two Delaware languages...
Delaware migrants from southwestern Ontario, and are now known as the Stockbridge-Munsee
Stockbridge-Munsee Community
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community is a Federally recognized Indian tribe consisting of the Mahican and Munsee peoples. Their land-base, the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Reservation, is located at in Shawano County, Wisconsin, in the towns of Bartelme and Red Springs.-In popular culture:In The West...
.
The Moravian dialect arose from population aggregations centred at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Some Mahican groups that had been affiliated beginning in 1740 with the Moravian Church in New York and Connecticut moved in 1746 to Bethlehem. Another group affiliated with the Moravians moved to Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and subsequent to a massacre by settlers some members of these groups fled to Canada with Munsee Moravian converts, ultimately settling at what is now Moraviantown
Moravian 47, Ontario
Moravian No. 47 is an Indian reserve located in Chatham-Kent Ontario with an area of 13 km². It is occupied by the Moravian of the Thames First Nation, a part of the Munsee branch of the Lenape, and is commonly known as Moravian of the Thames reserve...
, where they have completely merged with the dominant Delaware
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
population. Another group moved to Ohsweken at Six Nations, Ontario, where they merged with other groups at that location.
Mahican linguistic materials consist of a variety of materials collected by missionaries, linguists, and others, including an eighteenth-century manuscript dictionary compiled by Johann Schmick, a Moravian missionary. In the twentieth century linguists Truman Michelson and Morris Swadesh
Morris Swadesh
Morris Swadesh was an influential and controversial American linguist. In his work, he applied basic concepts in historical linguistics to the Indigenous languages of the Americas...
collected some Mahican materials from surviving speakers in Wisconsin.
Mahican historical phonology
Sound change
Sound change includes any processes of language change that affect pronunciation or sound system structures...
has been studied based upon the Schmick dictionary manuscript, tracing the historical changes affecting the pronunciation of words between Proto-Algonquian
Proto-Algonquian language
Proto-Algonquian is the name given to the proto-language from which the various languages of the Algonquian family are descended. It is generally estimated to have been spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago, but on the question of where it was spoken there is less agreement...
and the Moravian dialect of Mahican, as reflected in Schmick’s dictionary. The similarities between Mahican and the Delaware languages Munsee and Unami
Unami
Unami may refer to:*the Lenape language, or its sublanguage the Unami language*Unami Creek*the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq *the Unami Lodge...
have been acknowledged in studies of Mahican linguistic history, and in one classification Mahican and the Delaware languages are assigned to a Delawaran subgroup of Eastern Algonquian.