Beothuk language
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Language, Linguistics, Philology
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians
- Curriculum: American Indian History, Canadian History
- Geographical Location: Canada
The Beothuk language was spoken by the Beothuk people of Newfoundland. It apparently was an isolate (having no demonstrable ties to other known languages), although a relationship to the Algonquian family has been suggested by some, notably linguist John Hewson. Others argue that the language has no readily apparent links to Algonquian and that, if it is related, the relationship is quite ancient.
The language became extinct before linguists began the careful study of American Indian languages. The last speaker of Beothuk, whose name was Shananditti (also spelled Shanawdithi),...
[The entire page is 180 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
