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The 'Massachusett language' was a Native American language, a member of the Algonquian language family. It is also known as the 'Wampanoag', 'Natick', or 'Pokanoket' language.
Massachusett was spoken by the Wampanoag nation of Native Americans, who lived in the area now occupied by Boston, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. As such, Massachusett was one of the first Native American languages encountered and learned by English settlers. The first Bible translation published in North America was a translation of the entire Bible into Massachusett, which was published by John Eliot in 1663, who followed with a primer in 1669, and a second edition of the Bible in 1685. Eliot's missionary work made the Wampanoags literate, and wills, deeds, and other documents survive that were written in Massachusett using the orthography he introduced. This tradition of literacy has given Massachusett a much richer documentation than many other extinct Native American languages, and members of the Wampanoag nation are attempting to revive the study of the language.
The Lord's Prayer in Massachusett goes:
:''Nooshun kesukqut, wunneetupantamuch koowesuounk. Peyamooutch kukkeitasootamounk. Toh anantaman ne n-naj okheit, neane kesukqut. Asekesukokish petukqunnegash assaminnean yeu kesukok. Ahquontamaiinnean nummatcheseongatch, neane matchenehikqueagig nutahquontamanóunonog. Ahque sagkompaguninnean en qutchhuaonganit, webe pohquohwussinnan wutch matchitut. Newutche keitassootamoonk, kutahtauun, menuhkesuonk, sohsumoonk micheme kah micheme. Amen.''

Contents

Phonology

References

Bibliography

External link

Phonology

As reconstructed by Algonquianists, Massachusett apparently had 11 consonants, two short vowels, and four long vowel. The consonants consisted of the stops , , , , and ; fricatives and ; nasals and ; and semivowels and . The short vowels were and , and the long vowels were , , , and .^[1]

References

1. Walker (1997:159)

Bibliography

★ Goddard, Ives (1978). "Eastern Algonquian Languages" in ''Handbook of North American Indians'', vol. 15 (Bruce G. Trigger, ed.). Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution.

★ Goddard, Ives and Kathleen J. Bragdon (eds.) (1989) Native Writings in Massachusett. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. ISBN 0-87169-185-X

★ Moondancer and Strong Woman (2007) A Cultural History of the Native Peoples of Southern New England: Voices from Past and Present. Boulder, CO: Bauu Press. ISBN 0-97213-493-X

★ Walker, Willard B. (1997). "Native Writing Systems" in ''Handbook of North American Indians'', vol. 17 (Ives Goddard, ed.). Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution.

External link

★ Wampanoag Language and the Wampanoag Indian Tribe