Geographic
distribution Great Plains of the northern United States and southern Canada Linguistic classification Algic
Algonquian
Plains Algonquian Subdivisions Nitsitapi
Cheyenne
Arapahoan group Glottolog None
chey1247 (Cheyenne)
siks1238 (Siksika)
arap1273 (Arapahoic) | ||
The Plains Algonquian languages are commonly grouped together as a subgroup of the larger Algonquian family, itself a member of the Algic family. Though the 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 more closely related to one another than to any other Algonquian language. Within the Algonquian family, only Eastern Algonquian constitutes a separate genetic subgroup.
Contents
Family
The Plains Algonquian languages are well known for having diverged significantly from Proto-Algonquian (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, Nitsitapi (Siksika, Kainah, Piegan) 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 (also known as Blackfeet)
2. Arapahoan
3. Cheyenne