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40 Algonquian

  • Will Oxford
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Abstract

The traditional territories of Algonquian-speaking peoples cover a vast area of North America. This chapter provides a brief description of the Algonquian language family. The chapter begins by situating the Algonquian languages in broader contexts of geography, history, vitality, and documentation. This is followed by a brief sketch of Algonquian phonology, morphology, and syntax. Three distinctive properties found across the family are then illustrated: grammatical animacy, obviation, and direct-inverse marking.

Abstract

The traditional territories of Algonquian-speaking peoples cover a vast area of North America. This chapter provides a brief description of the Algonquian language family. The chapter begins by situating the Algonquian languages in broader contexts of geography, history, vitality, and documentation. This is followed by a brief sketch of Algonquian phonology, morphology, and syntax. Three distinctive properties found across the family are then illustrated: grammatical animacy, obviation, and direct-inverse marking.

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