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File:Langs N.Amer.png

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distribution of North American language families north of Mexico

info[edit]

about sources[edit]

Map redrawn and modified primary based on two maps by cartographer Roberta Bloom appearing in Mithun (1999:xviii–xxi). Incidentally, these maps are very derivative of the Driver map of the 1950s–60s (which means that, although published in 1999, it is not as up-to-date as one might think). The other main source used is the up-to-date and very well-done map found in Goddard (1996), which was revised as Goddard (1999). Essentially, Bloom's map was used for the projection and general outline of language borders while Goddard's maps were used to adjust Bloom's borders to reflect the more recent research.

Additional references include Sturtevant (since 1978), Mithun (1999:606–16), and Campbell (1997:353–76). Mithun and Campbell have several maps based on the maps found in Sturtevant (since 1978) and Bright (1992).

about map content[edit]

  • Map delineates each language family in a unique color.
  • Language isolates are all in dark grey, e.g. Chitimacha (#7) is an isolate in Louisiana. This is not meant to imply any relationship among them whatsoever. All isolates are assigned a number and listed on the right side of map.
  • Unclassified languages (i.e. #1 Beothuk, #4 Calusa, #8 Adai, #10 Karankawa, #12 Aranama, #15 Solano, #19 Esselen, #26 Cayuse) are in light grey and are also assigned a number and listed with the isolates on the right. (Unclassified languages in the case of North America are unclassified because there is not sufficient data to determine genealogical relationship.)
  • Areas in white are either
    1. uninhabited (in Alaska, Canada, Greenland),
    2. unknown (due to early extinction and little or no data; this is mostly in the East), or
    3. outside of subject area (in Mexico). (note that Seri (#17) is included because it is usually considered part of the Southwest culture area and also included in various Hokan phylum proposals.)
  • This is a historical map: Although most languages are still spoken in North America, the extent of their distribution has been profoundly affected by European contact — many languages have become extinct (sometimes including even the peoples). (See Endangered language.)
  • Language areas are those at earliest time of European contact, as far as can be determined. Since contact occurred at different times in different areas, no historical Native American maps of the entire continent are of a single time period.
  • Language areas are not as well-defined as this map would suggest: borders are often fuzzy and arbitrary and the entire language area may not be fully occupied by language speakers.
  • Na-Dene here is Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit, excluding Haida (#28).
  • The following groupings are disputed by some (or are considered not fully demonstrated):
    1. Plateau Penutian (aka Shahapwailutan) = Klamath-Modoc (isolate) + Molala (isolate) + Sahaptian (family). Sometimes Cayuse (#26) is included in Plateau Penutian, but this language is not very well documented and is now extinct. Thus, it is considered unclassified here.
    2. Yuki-Wappo = Yuki (isolate) + Wappo (isolate).

to do[edit]

  • translation into Spanish & other languages
  • extend Mexico coverage (for Comecrudo)?

links[edit]

You might want to compare this map with these two older (1967) maps of only the USA:

There is also an Inuktitut dialect map in Wikipedia:

Be sure to check out the beautiful work of Mutur Zikin (www.muturzikin.com):

Looking for more maps of South America? Go here:

A (older) map of Mexico (provided by the University of Texas):

Some pages in Wikipedia:

Some other sites on American languages (in English):

You might also be interesting in

other maps in this series[edit]

These other maps of single families are generated from the main map above.

bibliography[edit]

  • Bright, William (Ed.). (1992). International encyclopedia of linguistics (Vols. 1-4). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
  • Driver, Harold E. (1969). Indians of North America (2nd rev. ed.). Chicago: Chicago University Press. (Original work 1961).
  • Goddard, Ives. (1996). Native languages and language families of North America [Map]. In I. Goddard (Ed.), Handbook of North American Indians: Languages (Vol. 17). (W. C. Sturtevant, General Ed.) Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-1604-8774-9.
  • Goddard, Ives. (1999). Native languages and language families of North America (rev. and enlarged ed. with additions and corrections). [Map]. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press (Smithsonian Institute). (Updated version of the map in Goddard 1996). ISBN 0-8032-9271-6.
  • Krauss, Michael. (1982). Native peoples and languages of Alaska (rev. ed.). [Map]. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center. ISBN 0-933769-00-8.
  • Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
  • Powell, John W. (1891). Indian linguistic families of America north of Mexico. Seventh annual report, Bureau of American Ethnology (pp. 1-142). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. (Reprinted in P. Holder (Ed.), 1966, Introduction to Handbook of American Indian languages by Franz Boas and Indian linguistic families of America, north of Mexico, by J. W. Powell, Lincoln: University of Nebraska).
  • Sebeok, Thomas Albert (Ed.). (1973). Current trends in linguistics: Linguistics in North America (Vol. 10, Pts. 1-2). The Hague: Mouton.
  • Sturtevant, William C. (Ed.). (1978-present). Handbook of North American Indians (Vols. 1-20). Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. (Vols. 1-3, 16, 18-20 not yet published).

Thank You![edit]

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Licensing[edit]

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File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current21:52, 1 March 2009Thumbnail for version as of 21:52, 1 March 20091,290 × 1,170 (599 KB)Malus Catulusoptipng, pngout
14:31, 22 December 2006Thumbnail for version as of 14:31, 22 December 20061,290 × 1,170 (668 KB)Mahahahaneapneappngcrushed
00:43, 11 November 2006Thumbnail for version as of 00:43, 11 November 20061,290 × 1,170 (916 KB)Ish ishwarupdate
04:55, 1 April 2006Thumbnail for version as of 04:55, 1 April 20061,296 × 1,176 (678 KB)Locke Colesmaller file (pngout /f0 Langs_N.Amer.png /b4096) / Change: -315546 bytes ( 68% of original)
04:01, 7 January 2006Thumbnail for version as of 04:01, 7 January 20061,296 × 1,176 (986 KB)Ish ishwaradai,chimariko = unclassified; adjust uto-aztec, salinan, southern athabasc., muskogean; + Isla Ángel de la Guarda, Isla del Tiburón, Lake Okeechobee
21:24, 9 December 2005Thumbnail for version as of 21:24, 9 December 20051,318 × 1,195 (714 KB)Ish ishwarchecker grid pattern to Chumash
06:12, 6 December 2005Thumbnail for version as of 06:12, 6 December 20051,318 × 1,195 (714 KB)Ish ishwarforgot seri, fix fam key
01:21, 6 December 2005Thumbnail for version as of 01:21, 6 December 20051,318 × 1,195 (712 KB)Ish ishwarupdate
22:20, 24 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 22:20, 24 August 20051,318 × 1,195 (650 KB)Ish ishwarupdate
09:16, 24 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 09:16, 24 August 20051,318 × 1,195 (642 KB)Ish ishwarmaybe a (near) final version
19:52, 22 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 19:52, 22 August 20051,230 × 1,116 (661 KB)Ish ishwarupdate
20:31, 19 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 20:31, 19 August 20051,230 × 1,116 (663 KB)Ish ishwar+adai, -calusa, adjust
07:47, 19 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 07:47, 19 August 20051,208 × 1,096 (562 KB)Ish ishwaradjust, smaller
08:12, 18 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 08:12, 18 August 20051,449 × 1,315 (828 KB)Ish ishwarwater border, adjustments
21:22, 17 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 21:22, 17 August 20051,449 × 1,315 (838 KB)Ish ishwarcountry border, adjust utian, yokutsan, wintuan, yukian, pomoan
08:03, 17 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 08:03, 17 August 20051,449 × 1,315 (823 KB)Ish ishwaradjustments
23:32, 16 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 23:32, 16 August 20051,464 × 1,328 (601 KB)Ish ishwaradjust Yuchi, Timucua, Calusa, Muskogean, Iroquioan
22:09, 16 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 22:09, 16 August 20051,464 × 1,328 (601 KB)Ish ishwar+ isolate, correct families
19:13, 16 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 19:13, 16 August 20051,464 × 1,328 (542 KB)Ish ishwardarken patterns
18:16, 16 August 2005Thumbnail for version as of 18:16, 16 August 20051,464 × 1,328 (544 KB)Ish ishwar
01:57, 26 May 2005Thumbnail for version as of 01:57, 26 May 20051,008 × 914 (436 KB)Ish ishwarbiloxi is siouan-catawba not isolate, adjust siouan, adjust color
06:41, 23 May 2005Thumbnail for version as of 06:41, 23 May 20051,005 × 912 (423 KB)Ish ishwaradd families, add Chimakuan, correct wakashan, salishan, takelma, kalapuyan, change color
17:00, 18 May 2005Thumbnail for version as of 17:00, 18 May 2005873 × 792 (306 KB)Ish ishwardistribution of North American language families and language isolates
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