Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ Anishinaabemowin |
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Pronunciation: | /ənɪʃʰɪnaːpeːmowɪn/ or /ənɪʰʃɪnaːpeːmowɪn/ | |
Spoken in: | ![]() ![]() |
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Region: | western Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and into Saskatchewan, with outlying groups as far west as British Columbia; in the United States, from Michigan westward to Montana | |
Total speakers: | 70,606 (Ojibwe: 32,460, Oji-Cree: 12,600 and Algonquin: 2,680, Ottawa: 7,128; Potawatomi: 30 in Canada;[1] Ojibwe: 13,838, Ottawa: 872 and Potawatomi: 998 in the United States[2]) | |
Language family: | Algic Algonquian Central Algonquian Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language |
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Writing system: | Latin alphabet of various orthographies in Canada and the United States, and Ojibwe syllabics in Canada, and formerly, pictographs, and Great Lakes Aboriginal syllabics in the United States. | |
Language codes | ||
ISO 639-1: | None | |
ISO 639-2: | ||
ISO 639-3: | variously: alq – Algonquin oji – Ojibwa (generic) ojs – Severn Ojibwa ojg – Eastern Ojibwa ojc – Central Ojibwa ojb – Northwestern Ojibwa ojw – Western Ojibwa ciw – Chippewa otw – Ottawa pot – Potawatomi |
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Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. |
The Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language (also called the Anishinaabe language or Anishinaabemowin, ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ in Eastern Algonquian syllabics) is the second most commonly spoken First Nations language in Canada (after Cree),[1] and the third most spoken in North America (behind Navajo and Cree). It is spoken by the Anishinaabeg who are the Algonquin, Nipissing, Ojibwa (Chippewa), Saulteaux, Mississaugas and Odawa (Ottawa). Very closely related to Anishinaabe peoples, and speakers included in this group are the Anishinini language and the Potawatomi language. As their fur trading with the French increased the Ojibwas’ power, the Anishinaabe language became the trade language of the Great Lakes region, and was for hundreds of years an extremely significant presence in the northern United States.
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The Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language is divided into two major groups—the Ojibwa-Ottawa language, often referred to as the "Ojibwa language" though Ojibwa language is just one component of the language, and the Potawatomi language. The Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language is an Algonquian language, of the Algic family of languages, and is descended from Proto-Algonquian. Among its sister languages are Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Cree, Fox, Menominee, Potawatomi, and Shawnee. The Algic family contains the Algonquian languages and the so-called "Ritwan" languages, Wiyot and Yurok. Ojibwe group of languages is frequently referred to as a "Central Algonquian" language; however, Central Algonquian is an areal grouping rather than a genetic one. Among Algonquian languages, only the Eastern Algonquian languages constitute a true genetic subgroup. This article deals primarily with the Southwestern Ojibwe dialect spoken in the northern United States, around Minnesota and Wisconsin. Therefore, some of the descriptions given here will not necessarily hold true for other dialects of the Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language, unless an example is specifically given here. Otherwise, for specific detail on an individual language belonging to the Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language, please see the individual language's article.
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The Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language is spoken by approximately 70,606 people in North America and can be divided into the Ojibwa-Ottawa language and the Potawatomi language. Of the Ojibwa-Ottawa language, the largest component of the Ojibwa-Ottawa language, the Ojibwa language (also known as Ojibwemowin), which includes the Chippewa language (Southwestern Ojibwa), Western Ojibwa language (Saulteaux language or Plains Ojibwa language), Northwestern Ojibwa language, Central Ojibwa language, Mississauga language (Eastern Ojibwa language) and the Ottawa language, is spoken by 14,710 people in the United States[2] and by as many as 39,588 in Canada,[1] making it one of the largest Algic languages by speakers. The various dialects are spoken in northern Montana, northern North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States, and north into eastern British Columbia, southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba and Ontario in Canada. The second largest Ojibwa-Ottawa language component is the Severn Ojibwa language also known as the Oji-Cree language, Northern Ojibwa language, Anishinini language or Anishininiimowin, spoken by as many as 12,600 people in eastern Manitoba and northern Ontario in Canada;[1] it was one of only six indigenous languages in Canada to report an increase in use. The Ojibwa-Ottawa language also includes the Algonquin language, spoken by 2,680 people in northeastern Ontario and west-central Quebec;[1] all languages similar to the Algonquin language are described as being an Algonquian language. Smaller branch of the Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language, the Potawatomi language, spoken by approximately 1,000 people in Ontario, northeastern Wisconsin, Michigan, northern Indiana, northeastern Kansas and Oklahoma.
Language | Canada | United States | Total (by speakers) | Total ethnic population |
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Algonquin | 2,680 | 0 | 2,680 | 8,266 |
Oji-Cree | 12,600 | 0 | 12,600 | 12,600 |
Ojibwa | 32,460 | 13,838 | 46,298 | 219,711 |
Ottawa | 7,128 | 872 | 8,000 | 60,000 |
Potawatomi | 30 | 998* | 1,028 | 25,000 |
Total (by Country) | 63,898 | 15,708 | 70,606 | 325,577 |
* Of the 998 recorded speakers of Potawatomi language in the United States, only 50 were first-language speakers, most of them elderly.[3]
As fur trading with the French increased the Ojibwas’ power, the Anishinaabe language became the trade language of the Great Lakes region, and was for hundreds of years an extremely significant presence in the northern United States and across all of Canada.
The Anishinaabe language replaced the Wyandot language as the lingua franca of the Great Lakes region sometime during the middle of 17th century and remained as a lingua franca in the region until replaced by English in the late 19th century. Consequently, various dialects of the Anishinaabe language were understood by non-Anishinaabe peoples of the Great Lakes as well as by other peoples beyond the Great Lakes. At the height of its use as the major diplomatic and trade language of the region, the Anishinaabe language was found from the Ohio River valley in the south to James Bay in the north and from Ottawa River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. Due to the status being the lingua franca, the Anishinaabe language greatly influenced other Algonquian languages, such as the Menomini language, as well as spurring the creation of a pidgin language known as "Broken Ojibwa".
The Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language is divided into two language groups—Ojibwa-Ottawa language and Potawatomi language. The Ojibwa-Ottawa language has quite a few divergent dialects. The primary ones are Nipissing and Algonquin, Plains Ojibwe (Saulteaux), Eastern Ojibwe (Mississaugas), Northern Ojibwe (Northwestern Ojibwa/Ontario Saulteaux), Odaawaa (Ottawa), Severn Ojibwe (Oji-Cree/Northern Ojibwa), and Southwestern Ojibwe (Chippewa).
Though now considered a separate language, due to relatively recent diversion from the Ojibwa-Ottawa language, the Potawatomi language still exhibit strong characteristics to the Ojibwa-Ottawa language. The Potawatomi language has two major dialects, the northern dialect spoken in Ontario, Michigan and Wisconsin, and the southern dialect spoken primarily in Kansas.
During the Fur Trade, a pidgin form of the Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language, known as "Broken Ojibwa" or "Broken Oghibbeway", developed, relying on Anishinaabemowin for its vocabulary. It is often debated whether the Bungee language, a mixed language, is a mixture of the Ojibwa-Potawatomi-Ottawa language with other languages, or a mixture of a Cree language with other languages.