| Proto-Algonquian | |
|---|---|
| PA | |
| Reconstruction of | Algonquian languages |
| Region | western North America |
| Era | 1000–500 BCE |
Reconstructed ancestor | |
Proto-Algonquian (commonly abbreviated PA) is the proto-language from which the various Algonquian languages are descended. It is generally estimated to have been spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago,[1] but there is less agreement on where it was spoken. The Algonquian family, which is a branch of the larger Algic language family, is usually divided into three subgroups: Eastern Algonquian, which is a genetic subgroup, and Central Algonquian and Plains Algonquian, both of which are areal groupings. In the historical linguistics of North America, Proto-Algonquian is one of the best studied, most thoroughly reconstructed proto-languages.[2][3] It is descended from Proto-Algic.