Algic languages

The algic languages constitute a family of indigenous languages of North America. It is thought that they descend all from proto-algic, a proto-language of the second order rebuilt starting from the proto-algonquin as well as languages wiyot and yurok.

The majority of the algic languages are members of the subfamily algonquienne, spoken in an area going about the Rocky Mountains with the Nouvelle England. The other algic languages are the languages yurok and the wiyot of the North-West of the California.

Classification of the languages of the family

The algic family understands 30 languages.

I. Wiyot

1. ''' Wiyot ''' (†)

II. Yurok

2. ''' Yurok '''

III. Languages algonquiennes

3. Arapaho

4. ''' Blackfoot '''

5. ''' Cheyenne '''

6. ''' Cry '''

7. Fox

8. Menominee

9. Miami - Illinois (†)

10. ''' Ojibwa '''

11. Potawatomi

12. Shawnee

A. Eastern Algonquin

13. Eastern Abenaki

14. Etchemin (†)

15. " A" wolf; (†)

16. " B" wolf; (†)

17. Mahican (†)

18. Maliseet

19. Massachusett (†)

20. Intrigue

21. Mohegan - Pequot (†)

22. Munsee (or Delaware)

23. Nanticoke (†)

24. Narragansett (†)

25. Pamlico (†)

26. Powhatan (†)

27. Quiripi - Naugatuck - Unquachog (†)

28. Shinnecock (†)

29. Unami (†)

30. Western Abenaki

The languages wiyot, Miami, Illinois, etchemin, wolf has, wolf B, mahican, massachusett, mohegan, pequot, nanticoke, narragansett, pamlico, powhatan, quiripi, naugatuck, unami, unquachog and shinnecock is all extinct. The last known speaker of the language wiyot is deceased in 1962. All the other languages are threatened. It is thought that there remains less than one ten speakers of the language yurok.

The two algic languages of California, wiyot and yurok, were sometimes associated in the same sub-group named ritwain (leading to a genetic tree with two branches ritwain and algonquin). Many specialists disapproved such a regrouping, because the languages wiyot and yurok do not seem to be closer one to the other than they are it of any language algonquine.

Within the subfamily algonquine, there exists a more restricted regrouping concerning the Eastern languages algonquines. The other languages algonquines were sometimes classified in two sub-groups: algonquin central and algonquin of the plains . However, these two sub-groups are not founded on genetic relations, but are rather geographical sub-groups.

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