Algonquin Language

Algonquin Language

Algonquin (also spelled Algonkin; in Algoquin: Anicinàbemowin) is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario. As of 2006, there were 2,680 Algonquin speakers, less than 10% of whom were monolingual. Algonquin is the language for which the entire Algonquian language subgroup is named. The similarity among the names often causes considerable confusion. Like many Native American languages, it is strongly verb based, with most meaning being incorporated into verbs instead of using separate words for prepositions, tense, etc.