The are commonly grouped together as a subgroup of the larger
Algonquian Family , itself a member of the
Algic Family . Though this grouping is often encountered in the literature, it is an areal grouping rather than a genetic one. In other words, the languages are grouped together because they were spoken near each other, not because they are any closer related to one another than to any other Algonquian language. Within the Algonquian family, only
Eastern Algonquian constitutes a separate
Genetic Subgroup .
Within the Central Algonquian grouping, the only languages known to be more closely related to each other than to any other Algonquian languages are ,
Miami-Illinois ,
Fox-Sauk-Kickapoo , and
Shawnee , and excluding
Cree-Montagnais and
Menominee .
The languages are listed below along with dialects and subdialects. This classification follows Goddard (1996) and Mithun (1999).
1.
:
i. Cree
- East Cree ''(also known as James Bay Cree or Eastern Cree)''
- Naskapi
- Montagnais ''(also known as Innu-aimun or Innu)''
2. (also known as Menomini)
I. Eastern Great Lakes (also known as Core Central)
: a. Ojibwe-Potawatomi (also known as Ojibwe-Potawatomi-Ottawa, Anishinaabemowin, or the Anishinaabe language)
:: 3.
(also known as Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Ojibway, or the Anishinaabe language)
:::
i. Northern
- Saulteaux ''(also known as Plains Ojibwe or Western Ojibwe)''
- Eastern Ojibwe
- Southwestern Ojibwe ''(also known as Chippewa, Ojibwe, Ojibwa, or Ojibway)''
- Ottawa ''(also known as Odawa)''
- Northern Ojibwe ''(also known as Northwestern Ojibwe)''
- Nipissing Algonquin ''(also known simply as Algonquin)''
:: 4.
: 5. (also known as Fox-Sauk-Kickapoo or Mesquakie-Sauk-Kickapoo)
- Fox ''(also known as Meskwaki, Mesquakie, or Meshkwahkihaki)''
- Sauk ''(also known as Sac and Fox)''
- Kickapoo
- Mascouten (unattested)
: 6.
: 7.
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). ''American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America''. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
- Goddard, Ives (1994). "The West-to-East Cline in Algonquian Dialectology." In William Cowan, ed., ''Papers of the 25th Algonquian Conference'' 187-211. Ottawa: Carleton University.
- ———— (1996). "Introduction". In Ives Goddard, ed., "Languages". Vol. 17 of William Sturtevant, ed., ''The Handbook of North American Indians''. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution.
- Grimes, Barbara F. (Ed.) (2000). ''Ethnologue: Languages of the world'', (14th ed.). Dallas, TX: SIL International. ISBN 1-55671-106-9. Online edition: http://www.ethnologue.com/, accessed on Mar. 3, 2005.
- Mithun, Marianne (1999). ''The languages of Native North America''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.