| Also Known As: Massachusett,Natick,Massachusetts
Description:
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 Massachusett and the Wampanoag nations 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:
As reconstructed by Algonquianists, Massachusett..... full article at Wikipedia |
