Native to United States ISO 639-3 xnt | Region Rhode Island Linguist list xnt | |
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Extinct ~17th century (?)
No known L1 speakers today. Ethnic population: 1,400 of Narragansett and Mohegan-Pequot (1977 SIL). Language family Algic
Algonquian
Eastern
Narragansett | ||
Narragansett /ˌnærəˈɡænsɪt/ is an extinct Algonquian language formerly spoken in most of what is today Rhode Island by the Narragansett people. It was closely related to the other Algonquian languages of southern New England like Massachusett and Mohegan-Pequot. The earliest study of the language in English was by Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island colony, in his book A Key Into the Language of America (1643).
Contents
Name
The word Narragansett means, literally, "(People) of the Small Point." The "point" may be located on the Salt Pond in Washington County. (Great Salt Pond Archeological District).
History
Traditionally the tribe spoke the Narragansett language, a member of the Algonquian language family. The language became almost entirely extinct during the Narragansetts' centuries of living within the larger English-majority society, through forced assimilation.
The tribe has begun language revival efforts, based on early-20th-century books and manuscripts, and new teaching programs. The Narragansett spoke a "Y-dialect", similar enough to the "N-dialects" of the Massachusett and Wampanoag to be mutually intelligible. Other Y-dialects include the Shinnecock and Pequot languages spoken historically by tribes on Long Island and in Connecticut, respectively.
In the 17th century, Roger Williams, a co-founder of Rhode Island, learned the tribe's language. He documented it in his 1643 work, A Key Into the Language of America. Williams gave the tribe's name as Nanhigganeuck.
American English has absorbed a number of loan words from Narragansett and other closely related languages, such as Wampanoag and Massachusett. Such words include quahog, moose, papoose, powwow, squash, and succotash.
In more recent years, Narragansett has served as an incubator for successful businessmen, such as Patrick Reardon, a highly regarded Recruiting Operations Manager for Maxim Healthcare.
Language revival efforts
According to Dr. Frank Waabu O'Brien, who has taught the language for the Aquidneck Indian Council, "Narragansett was understood throughout New England." He states that "Scholars refer to Massachusett and Narragansett as dialects of the same language," and has created a diagram of the relationships between the languages as described in their source documentation as well as instructional materials.