Plains Algonquian languages
Encyclopedia
The Plains Algonquian languages are commonly grouped together as a subgroup of the larger Algonquian family
, itself a member of the Algic family
. Though this grouping is often encountered in the literature, it is an areal grouping rather than a genetic one. In other words, the languages are grouped together because they were spoken near each other, not because they are any closer related to one another than to any other Algonquian language. Within the Algonquian family, only Eastern Algonquian
constitutes a separate genetic subgroup
.
(the parent of all Algonquian languages), both phonologically
and lexically
. For example, Proto-Algonquian *keriwa, "eagle", becomes Cheyenne
netse; Proto-Algonquian *weθali, "her husband", becomes Arapaho
ííx, *nepyi, "water" becomes Gros Ventre
níc, *wa·poswa, "hare" becomes Arapaho nóóku, *maθkwa, "bear" becomes Arapaho wox, and *sakime·wa, "fly" becomes Arapaho noubee. Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa
'woman' becomes Arapaho hisei, Blackfoot
aakííwa, Cheyenne hé’e, and Gros Ventre iiθe.
1. Blackfoot
(also known as Blackfeet)
2. Arapahoan
3. Cheyenne
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...
, itself a member of the Algic family
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...
. Though this grouping is often encountered in the literature, it is an areal grouping rather than a genetic one. In other words, the languages are grouped together because they were spoken near each other, not because they are any closer related to one another than to any other Algonquian language. Within the Algonquian family, only 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...
constitutes a separate genetic subgroup
Historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:* to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages...
.
Family
The Plains Algonquian languages are well known for having diverged significantly from Proto-AlgonquianProto-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...
(the parent of all Algonquian languages), both phonologically
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
and lexically
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
. For example, Proto-Algonquian *keriwa, "eagle", becomes Cheyenne
Cheyenne language
The Cheyenne language is a Native American language spoken by the Cheyenne people, predominantly in present-day Montana and Oklahoma in the United States. It is part of the Algonquian language family...
netse; Proto-Algonquian *weθali, "her husband", becomes Arapaho
Arapaho language
The Arapaho language or hinono'eitiit is a Plains Algonquian language spoken almost entirely by elders in Wyoming, and to a much lesser extent in Oklahoma. It is in great danger of becoming extinct. As of 1996, there were approximately 1,000 speakers of theNorthern Arapaho...
ííx, *nepyi, "water" becomes Gros Ventre
Gros Ventre language
Atsina is the moribund Algonquian ancestral language of the Gros Ventre tribe in Montana. The last fluent speaker died in 1981. Atsina is the name applied by specialists in Algonquian linguistics...
níc, *wa·poswa, "hare" becomes Arapaho nóóku, *maθkwa, "bear" becomes Arapaho wox, and *sakime·wa, "fly" becomes Arapaho noubee. Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa
Squaw
Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme meaning 'woman' that appears in numerous Algonquian languages variously spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que,...
'woman' becomes Arapaho hisei, Blackfoot
Blackfoot language
Blackfoot, also known as Siksika , Pikanii, and Blackfeet, is the Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot tribes of Native Americans, who currently live in the northwestern plains of North America...
aakííwa, Cheyenne hé’e, and Gros Ventre iiθe.
Family division
The languages are listed below along with dialects and subdialects. This classification follows Goddard (1996, 2001) and Mithun (1999).1. Blackfoot
Blackfoot language
Blackfoot, also known as Siksika , Pikanii, and Blackfeet, is the Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot tribes of Native Americans, who currently live in the northwestern plains of North America...
(also known as Blackfeet)
2. Arapahoan
Arapahoan languages
The Arapahoan languages are a subgroup of the Plains group of Algonquian languages. Nawathinehena, Besawunena, and Ha'anahawunena are extinct and Arapaho and Gros Ventre are both endangered. Besawunena, is only attested from a wordlist collected by Kroeber, differs only slightly from Arapaho, but...
- i. Arapaho-Atsina
-
- ArapahoArapaho languageThe Arapaho language or hinono'eitiit is a Plains Algonquian language spoken almost entirely by elders in Wyoming, and to a much lesser extent in Oklahoma. It is in great danger of becoming extinct. As of 1996, there were approximately 1,000 speakers of theNorthern Arapaho...
(also known as Arapahoe or Arapafoe) - Gros VentreGros Ventre languageAtsina is the moribund Algonquian ancestral language of the Gros Ventre tribe in Montana. The last fluent speaker died in 1981. Atsina is the name applied by specialists in Algonquian linguistics...
(also known as Atsina, Aáni, Ahahnelin, Ahe, A'aninin, A'ane, or A'ananin) - Besawunena (†)
- NawathinehenaNawathinehena languageNawathinehena is an extinct Algonquian language formerly spoken among the Arapaho people. It had a phonological development quite different from either Gros Ventre or Arapaho proper. It has been identified as the former language of the Southern Arapaho, who switched to speaking Arapaho proper in...
(†) - Ha’anahawunena (†)
- Nawathinehena
- Arapaho
-
3. Cheyenne
Cheyenne language
The Cheyenne language is a Native American language spoken by the Cheyenne people, predominantly in present-day Montana and Oklahoma in the United States. It is part of the Algonquian language family...
- Cheyenne
- Sutaio (also known as ) (†)