Algonquian–Wakashan languages

Algonquian–Wakashan (also Almosan, Algonkian–Mosan, Algonkin–Wakashan) is a hypothetical language family composed of several established language families that was proposed in 1929. The proposal consists of the following:

• Algonquian–Wakashan
  • Algic (Algonkin–Ritwan)
    • Algonquian (Algonkin)
    • Beothuk
    • Wiyot–Yurok (Ritwan)
  • Kutenai (also known as Kootenay; a language isolate)
  • Mosan
    • Wakashan
    • Chimakuan
    • Salishan

Algonquian–Wakashan
Almosan
(hypothetical)
Geographic distribution	North America, Sakhalin Island, and Southern Siberia
Linguistic classification	proposed language family
Subdivisions	Algic Sapir, 1929: Kutenai Mosan or Nikolaev, 2015–2016: Nivkh Wakashan
Language codes
Glottolog	None
Not shown: Yurok, Wiyot

Kutenai may possibly be distantly related to the Salishan family, but this link has not been demonstrated. The Mosan family proposal is also hypothetical and is currently considered undemonstrated, rather appearing to be a Sprachbund.

Proposed external relationships

Joseph Greenberg renamed Sapir's proposal Almosan and grouped it in an even more inclusive Almosan–Keresiouan phylum with the Caddoan, Iroquoian, Keresan, and Siouan families. This proposal has been rejected by linguists specializing in Native American languages.^[1]

Murray Gell-Mann, Ilia Peiros, and Georgiy Starostin group Chukotko-Kamchatkan and Nivkh with Almosan.^[2]

In the mid-2010s, Sergei Nikolaev argued in two papers for a systematic relationship between the Nivkh language of Sakhalin and the Amur basin and the Algic languages. He also proposed a secondary relationship between these two together and the Wakashan languages.^[3][4]

See also

• Chukotko-Kamchatkan–Amuric