View source for Algic languages

{{More footnotes needed|date=October 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Short description|Indigenous language family of North America}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox language family
| name          = Algic
| altname       = Algonquian–Ritwan<br/>Algonquian–Wiyot–Yurok
| region        = Northern [[North America]]
| familycolor   = Algic
| family        = One of the world's primary [[language family|language families]] (or [[Algonquian–Wakashan]]?)
| protoname     = [[Proto-Algic language|Proto-Algic]]
| child1        = ''[[Wiyot language|Wiyot]]'' {{extinct}}
| child2        = ''[[Yurok language|Yurok]]'' ({{extinct}})
| child3        = [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]
| map           = Algic_map_no_borders.svg
| mapcaption    = Pre-contact distribution of Algic languages
| iso5          = aql
| glotto        = algi1248
| glottorefname = Algic
| notes         = † - extinct language
| ancestor      = 
| glottoname    = 
}}

The '''Algic languages''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|l|.|ɡ|ᵻ|k}}); also Algonquian–Wiyot–Yurok or Algonquian–Ritwan)<ref name="Berman1984">{{Harvcolnb|Berman|1984}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcolnb|Golla|2011|p=61}}</ref> are an [[Indigenous languages of America#Northern America|indigenous language family of North America]]. Most Algic languages belong to the [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] subfamily, dispersed over a broad area from the [[Rocky Mountains]] to [[Atlantic Canada]]. The other Algic languages are the [[Yurok language|Yurok]] and [[Wiyot language|Wiyot]] of northwestern [[Indigenous peoples of California|California]], which, despite their geographic proximity, are not closely related to each other. All these languages descend from [[Proto-Algic language|Proto-Algic]], a second-order [[proto-language]]<ref name="PAc I">{{Harvcolnb|Proulx|1984}}</ref> estimated to have been spoken about 5,000 years ago and reconstructed using the reconstructed [[Proto-Algonquian language]] and the [[Wiyot language|Wiyot]] and [[Yurok language|Yurok]] languages.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Nikolaev|2015}}</ref>
[[File:Cree_type_proof.jpg|thumb|Text in [[Cree language|Cree]]. Cree is the most widely spoken Algic language.]]

== History ==
The term ''Algic'' was first coined by [[Henry Schoolcraft]] in his ''Algic Researches'', published in 1839. Schoolcraft defined the term as "derived from the words [[Allegheny Plateau|Allegheny]] and [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], in reference to the indigenous people anciently located in this geographical area".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Schoolcraft|1839|p=12}}</ref> Schoolcraft's terminology was not retained. The peoples he called "Algic" were later included among the speakers of Algonquian languages. This language group is also referred to as "Algonquian-Ritwan" and "Wiyot-Yurok-Algonquian".

When [[Edward Sapir]] proposed that the well-established Algonquian family was [[Genetic relationship (linguistics)|genetically]] related to the Wiyot and Yurok languages of northern [[California]], he applied the term ''Algic'' to this larger family. The Algic [[urheimat]] is thought to have been located in the [[Northwestern United States]] somewhere between the suspected [[Urheimat|homeland]] of the Algonquian branch (to the west of [[Lake Superior]] according to [[Ives Goddard]]<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Goddard |1994|p=207}}</ref>) and the earliest known location of the Wiyot and Yurok (along the middle [[Columbia River]] according to Whistler<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Moratto |1984|pp=540, 546, 564}}</ref>).

== Classification of Algic ==
The [[Genetic relationship (linguistics)|genetic]] relation of Wiyot and Yurok to Algonquian was first proposed by [[Edward Sapir]] (1913, 1915, 1923), and argued against by Algonquianist [[Truman Michelson]] (1914, 1914, 1935). According to Lyle Campbell (1997), the relationship "has subsequently been demonstrated to the satisfaction of all".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Campbell|2000|p=152}}, who cites among others {{Harvcolnb|Haas |1958}}</ref> This controversy in the early classification of North American languages was called the "Ritwan controversy" because Wiyot and Yurok were assigned to a genetic grouping called "Ritwan". Most specialists now reject the validity of the Ritwan genetic node.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Campbell|2000|p=152}}; {{Harvcolnb|Mithun|1999|p=337}}</ref> Berman (1982) suggested that Wiyot and Yurok share sound changes not shared by the rest of Algic (which would be explainable by either areal diffusion or genetic relatedness); Proulx (2004) argued against Berman's conclusion of common sound changes.<ref name="Berman1984" />

More recently, [[Sergei Nikolaev (linguist)|Sergei Nikolaev]] has argued in two papers for a systematic relationship between the [[Nivkh language]] of [[Sakhalin]] and the [[Amur]] river basin and the Algic languages, and a secondary relationship between these two together and the [[Wakashan languages]].<ref>{{Harvcolnb |Nikolaev|2015}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcolnb|Nikolaev|2016}}</ref>

== Internal classification ==
The following tree follows the paradigm established by Goddard (1994) wherein [[Blackfoot language |Blackfoot]] was the first language to diverge from [[Proto-Algic]], followed by [[Arapaho language |Arapaho]] and [[Cree language |Cree]], then the [[Central Algonquian languages |Eastern Great Lakes]] or "Core Central" languages, and finally the [[Eastern Algonquian languages]]; this is reflected by "newer" languages being lower on the tree.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Goddard |1994}}</ref>
[[File:Algic.png|thumb|Family tree of the Algic languages<ref name="Algic">{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 5.0 - Algic |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/algi1248 |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=glottolog.org}}</ref>]]
{{Tree list}}
*'''Algic'''<ref name="Algic"></ref><ref name="Campbell">{{Harvcolnb|Campbell|2000|page=153}}</ref>
** {{extinct}}'''''[[Wiyot language | Wiyot]]'''''
** ({{extinct}})'''''[[Yurok language | Yurok]]'''''
** '''[[Algonquian languages | Algonquian]]'''
*** [[Blackfoot language | Blackfoot/Siksiká]]
*** '''[[Arapahoan languages | Arapahoic]]'''
**** [[Arapaho]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Gros Ventre language | Gros Ventre/Atsina]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Nawathinehena language | Nawathinehena]]
*** '''[[Cree language | Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi]]'''
**** [[Atikamekw language | Atikamekw]]{{efn|Sometimes considered to be a dialect of Cree}}
**** [[Cree language | Cree]] (dialect continuum)
**** [[Innu language | Innu]]
**** [[Naskapi language | Naskapi]]
*** [[Cheyenne language | Cheyenne]]
*** [[Menominee language | Menominee]]
*** '''[[Central Algonquian | Eastern Great Lakes]]'''
**** [[Shawnee language | Shawnee]]
**** [[Fox language | Fox]]
***** [[Kickapoo language | Kickapoo]]
***** [[Sauk language | Sauk]]
**** '''Ojibwe-Potawatomi'''
***** [[Potawatomi language | Potawatomi]]
***** [[Ojibwe language | Ojibwe]] (dialect continuum)
**** {{extinct}}[[Miami-Illinois language | Miami]]
*** '''[[Eastern Algonquian languages | Eastern]]'''
**** [[Mi'kmaq language|Mi'kmaq]]
**** [[Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language|Maliseet-Passamaquoddy]]
**** [[Abenaki language|Abenaki]]
***** {{extinct}}Eastern Abenaki
***** Western Abenaki
**** ({{extinct}})[[Massachusett language|Massachusett/Wampanoag]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Narragansett language|Narragansett]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Mohegan-Pequot language|Mohegan-Pequot]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Powhatan language|Powhatan]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Carolina Algonquian language|Pamlico]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Etchemin language|Etchemin]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Nanticoke language|Nanticoke]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Piscataway language|Piscataway]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Quiripi language|Quiripi]]
**** {{extinct}}[[Loup languages|Loup]]{{efn|Possibly 5 different languages}}
**** '''Delawaran'''
***** [[Munsee language|Munsee]]
***** {{extinct}}[[Unami language|Unami]]
***** {{extinct}}[[Mahican language|Mahican]]
{{Tree list/end}}
{{Notelist}}

== Proto-language ==
{{main|Proto-Algic language}}
[[Proto-Algic]] is an example of a second-order [[proto-language]]: its reconstruction depends on the reconstruction another proto-language (namely its descendant [[Proto-Algonquian]]), as well as the divergent branches of [[Wiyot language|Wiyot]] and [[Yurok language|Yurok]].<ref name="PAc I" /> As such, reconstruction of Proto-Algic is based on [[comparative method|cross-examination]] of linguistic features between Proto-Algonquian, Wiyot, and Yurok.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Proulx|1991}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Algonquian–Wakashan languages]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
<!-- {{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |title= |url= |journal= |volume= |issue= |pages= |doi= |access-date= }}
 {{cite book }}-->
* {{cite journal |last1=Berman |first1=Howard |title=Two Phonological Innovations in Ritwan |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=48 |issue=4 |year=1982 |pages=412–420 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/465750 |s2cid=144518292 |author-link=Howard Berman}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Berman |first1=Howard |title=Proto-Algonquian-Ritwan Verbal Roots |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=50 |issue=3 |date=July 1984 |pages=335–342 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/465840 |s2cid=144285942}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Lyle |author-link=Lyle Campbell |title=American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h36tPYqAZPwC&pg=PR4 |date=21 September 2000 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=New York |language=en |isbn=978-0-19-509427-5 |orig-year=1997}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Goddard |first1=Ives |editor1-last=Cowan |editor1-first=William |title=The West-to-East cline in Algonquian dialectology |journal=Actes du Vingt-cinquième Congrès des Algonquinistes |date=1994 |volume=25 |url=https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/ALGQP/article/view/616 |access-date=1 December 2018 |hdl=10088/21761}}
* {{cite book |last1=Goddard |first1=Ives|editor1-last=Sturtevant|editor1-first=W. C. |title=Handbook of North American Indians |date=1996 |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |location=Washington, D. C. |isbn=978-0-16-048774-3 |chapter=Languages |volume=17 |title-link=Handbook of North American Indians}}
* {{cite book|title=California Indian languages |last=Golla |first=Victor |isbn=9780520949522 |location=Berkeley |oclc=755008853 |date=20 September 2011}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Haas |first1=Mary R. |title=Algonkian-Ritwan: The End of a Controversy |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=24 |issue=3 |year=1958 |pages=159–173 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/464453 |s2cid=143214234 |author-link=Mary Haas}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Haas |first1=Mary R. |title=Wiyot-Yurok-Algonkian and Problems of Comparative Algonkian |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=32 |issue=2 |year=1966 |pages=101–107 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/464889 |s2cid=144355911}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Michelson |first1=Truman |title=Two Alleged Algonquian Languages of California |journal=[[American Anthropologist]] |volume=16 |issue=2 |year=1914 |pages=361–367 |issn=0002-7294 |doi=10.1525/aa.1914.16.2.02a00150 |author-link=Truman Michelson}}
*Michelson, Truman. 1915. Rejoinder. ''American Anthropologist'', n.s. 17:194–198.
* {{cite journal |last1=Michelson |first1=Truman |title=Phonetic Shifts in Algonquian Languages |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=8 |issue=3/4 |year=1935 |pages=131–171 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/463813 |s2cid=143895922}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mithun |first1=Marianne |title=The languages of Native North America |url=https://archive.org/details/rosettaproject_esi_detail-1 |date=1999 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-23228-9}} (hbk); {{ISBN|0-521-29875-X}}.
* {{cite book |last1=Moratto |first1=Michael J. |title=California archaeology |url=https://archive.org/details/californiaarchae0000mora |url-access=registration |date=1984 |publisher=Academic Press|isbn=9780125061803 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Nikolaev |first1=Sergei L. |title=Toward the reconstruction of Proto-Algonquian-Wakashan. Part 1: Proof of the Algonquian-Wakashan relationship |journal=Journal of Language Relationship |date=2015 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=23–61 |doi=10.31826/jlr-2015-131-206 |s2cid=212688261 |url=https://www.academia.edu/15693360 |access-date=1 December 2018 |language=en|doi-access=free}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Nikolaev |first1=Sergei L. |title=Toward the reconstruction of Proto-Algonquian-Wakashan. Part 2: Algonquian-Wakashan sound correspondences. |journal=Journal of Language Relationship |date=2016 |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=289–328 |doi=10.31826/jlr-2016-133-408 |s2cid=212688688 |url=https://www.academia.edu/28569450 |access-date=1 December 2018 |language=en |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Yurok Retroflection and Vowel Symbolism in Proto-Algic |journal=Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics |year=1982 |issn=1043-3805 |doi=10.17161/KWPL.1808.3621 |hdl=1808/3621 |volume=7 |pages=119–123 |author-link=Paul Proulx |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto-Algic I: Phonological Sketch |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=50 |issue=2 |year=1984 |pages=165–207 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/465826 |s2cid=144185501}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto-Algic II: Verbs |journal=[[International Journal of American Linguistics]] |volume=51 |issue=1 |year=1985 |pages=59–93 |issn=0020-7071 |doi=10.1086/465860 |s2cid=143787643}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto-Algic III: Pronouns |journal=Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics |year=1991 |issn=1043-3805 |doi=10.17161/KWPL.1808.429 |hdl=1808/429 |volume=16 |pages=129–170 |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto-Algic IV: Nouns |journal=Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics |year=1992 |issn=1043-3805 |doi=10.17161/KWPL.1808.644 |hdl=1808/644 |volume=17 |pages=11–57 |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto-Algic V: Doublets and their Implications |journal=Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics |year=1994 |issn=1043-3805 |doi=10.17161/KWPL.1808.321 |hdl=1808/321 |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=115–182 |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Proulx |first1=Paul |title=Proto Algic VI: Conditioned Yurok Reflexes of Proto Algic Vowels |journal=Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics |year=2004 |issn=1043-3805 |doi=10.17161/KWPL.1808.1247 |hdl=1808/1247 |volume=27 |pages=124–138 |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Sturtevant |editor1-first=William C. |title=Handbook of North American Indians |year=1978 |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |location=Washington, D. C. |volume=1–20 |title-link=Handbook of North American Indians}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Sapir |first1=Edward |title=Wiyot and Yurok, Algonkin languages of California |journal=[[American Anthropologist]] |volume=15 |issue=4 |year=1913 |pages=617–646 |issn=0002-7294 |doi=10.1525/aa.1913.15.4.02a00040 |author-link=Edward Sapir |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Sapir |first1=E. |title=Algonkin languages of California: A reply |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=17 |issue=1 |year=1922 |pages=188–198 |issn=0002-7294 |doi=10.1525/aa.1915.17.1.02a00270 |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Sapir |first1=Edward |title=The Algonkin affinity of Yurok and Wiyot kinship terms |journal=Journal de la Société des Américanistes |volume=14 |issue=1 |year=1922 |pages=36–74 |issn=0037-9174 |doi=10.3406/jsa.1922.3991 |hdl=1974/11913 |hdl-access=free}}
* {{cite book |last=Schoolcraft |first=Henry Rowe |date=1839 |title=Algic researches, comprising inquiries respecting the mental characteristics of the North American Indians. First series. Indian tales and legends |location=New York |publisher=Harper & Brothers |volume=1 |author-link=Henry Rowe Schoolcraft |ol=17492450M |oclc=6836253}}

{{Algic languages}}
{{Language families}}
{{North American languages}}

[[Category:Algic languages| ]]
[[Category:Language families]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Subarctic]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of California]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Plains]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American eastern woodlands]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Southeast]]
[[Category:Algonquian–Wakashan languages]]
[[Category:Endangered Algic languages]]