#malecite

Malecite - Endangered Languages Challenge 3b/7 (Since Malecite and Mi’kmaq are related, I wanted to post them both for day 3.)

Picture source What’s the language called?

Malecite/Maliseet-Passamaquoddy in English, and Wolastoqey in the language itself.

What linguistic family does it belong to?

It’s an Eastern Algonquian language, related to Mi’kmaq and Abenaki.

Where is it spoken?

Mostly in what is now New Brunswick, Canada (specifically Tobique, Woodstock, Kingsclear, St. Mary’s, and Oromocto), and Maine in the US (Pleasant Point and Indian Township specifically).

What’s the situation?

It’s estimated to have 400-600 speakers (mostly in Canada), mostly over the age of 50. The continuing effects of Canada’s indigenous genocide and the  lack of transmission to new, young speakers are major obstacles right now, but there are ongoing revitalization and maintenance efforts. 

About the speaker community:

The speakers were discouraged or outright punished for using their language for many years (for instance, in residential schools), but there’s been significant interest in bringing back the use of the language into daily life. 

The Language Keepers project went about recording speakers while they had natural conversations with each other at gatherings (as opposed to elicitation). The videos and the dictionary that was compiled have reportedly been popular and encouraging to the larger community, helping older speakers feel more comfortable using the language again, and sparking interest in younger community members who may want to learn the language themselves.

Does it have any official or legal status?

Not really. Like other indigenous languages in Canada, there has been some funding offered for revitalization efforts, but there’s very little official or legal support for the language.

What’s its documentation status?

It’s quite well-documented. Bilingual dictionaries have also been compiled and are available online, with many entries offering audio samples of the language as well.

Some double curved motif drawings before bed😴 definitely not symmetrical lol

Double curved motif

\ˈpōkˌlōgən\

noun : a usually stagnant inlet or marshy place branching off from a stream or lake