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. The Narragansett language, also extinct and only slightly attested, was probably a dialect of Massachusett.

It was spoken by the Wampanoag nation 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. 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 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:

Nooshun kesukqut, wunneetupantamuch koowesuounk. Peyamooutch kukkeitasootamounk. Toh anantaman ne n-naj okheit, neane kesukqut. Asekesukokish petukqunnegash assaminnean yeu kesukok. Ahquontamaiinnean nummatcheseongatch, neane matchenehikqueagig nutahquontamanóunonog. Ahque sagkompaguninnean en qutchhuaonganit, webe pohquohwussinnan wutch matchitut. Newutche keitassootamoonk, kutahtauun, menuhkesuonk, sohsumoonk micheme kah micheme. Amen.

Bibliography

• Goddard, Ives and Kathleen J. Bragdon (eds.) (1989) Native Writings in Massachusett. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. ISBN 087169185X

External link

• Wampanoag Language and the Wampanoag Indian Tribe

Eastern Algonquian languages | Languages of the United States | Extinct languages | Indigenous languages of the North American eastern woodlands