Abenaki language

Abenaki, or Abnaki, is an endangered Algonquian language of Quebec and Maine. The language has Eastern and Western forms, which differ in vocabulary and phonology, and are sometimes considered distinct languages.

Eastern Abenaki languages are spoken by several peoples, including the Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot of coastal Maine. The last known natively fluent speaker of Penobscot, Madeline Shay, died in 1993. However, several Penobscot elders still speak Penobscot, and there is an ongoing effort to preserve it and teach it in the local schools. Other dialects of Eastern Abenaki, such as Caniba and Aroosagunticook, are documented in French-language materials from the colonial period.