Algonquin (also spelled
Algonkin; in Algonquin:
Anicinàbemowin or
Anishinàbemiwin) is either a distinct
Algonquian language closely related to the
Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent
Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside
French and to some extent
English, by the
Algonquin First Nations of
Quebec and
Ontario. As of 2006, there were 2,680 Algonquin speakers, less than 10% of whom were monolingual. Algonquin is the language for which the entire Algonquian language subgroup is named. The similarity among the names often causes considerable confusion. Like many Native American languages, it is strongly verb-based, with most meaning being
incorporated into verbs instead of using separate words for prepositions, tense, etc.