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Native Languages of the Americas:
Abnaki-Penobscot Language (Abénakis, Alnôbak)

Language: Abenaki-Penobscot is an Algonkian language once spoken by two related tribes, the Abenaki and the Penobscot. Today only a handful of Canadian Abenakis still speak the Western Abenaki language, which they call Alnobak, Alnombak, or Aln8bak (the 8 was used by Jesuit linguists to represent a nasalized, unrounded 'o'). The last fully fluent speaker of Eastern Abnaki/Penobscot has passed on, but several Penobscot elders still speak some of the language and are working to revive its use in the Penobscot Nation today.



People: The Abnakis and Penobscots, together with the Maliseets, the Passamaquoddys, and the Mi'kmaqs, were members of the old Wabanaki Confederacy, traditional adversaries of the Iroquois. These allies from the eastern seaboard spoke related languages, and "Abnaki" and "Wabanaki" have the same Algonquian root, meaning "people from the east." Today there are about 12,000 Abnakis living in New England and Quebec (where they fled British aggression in the 1600's), and 3000 Penobscots living primarily in Maine.



˜Penobscot-Abenaki Language
Penobscot-Abenaki language samples and resources.

˜Abenaki Tribe Culture and History
Information and links about the Abnaki people.

˜Abenaki Indians Fact Sheet
Our answers to common questions about the Abenakis.

˜Abenaki Legends
Introduction to Abenaki mythology.

˜Penobscot Tribe Culture and History
Information and links about the Penobscot people.

˜Penobscot Indians Fact Sheet
Our answers to common questions about the Penobscots.

˜Penobscot Legends
Introduction to Penobscot mythology.



˜Penobscot-Abenaki Language Resources –

Our Online Language Materials

Abenaki-Penobscot Vocabulary:
    List of words in the Western Abenaki language compared to other Algonquian languages.
Abenaki-Penobscot Pronunciation Guide:
    How to pronounce Abenaki-Penobscot words.
Abenaki-Penobscot Animal Words:
    Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Abenaki language.
Abenaki Body Parts:
     Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in the Abenaki language.
Abenaki-Penobscot Colors:
     Worksheet showing color words in the Abenaki language.
Abenaki-Penobscot Animate Nouns:
     Lesson on Abenaki-Penobscot animate and inanimate nouns.
Abenaki-Penobscot Possession:
     Lesson on the use of Abenaki-Penobscot possessive prefixes.

Abenaki-Penobscot Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Abenaki Language Lessons:
    Online Abnaki lessons from the Cowasuck tribe.
Abenaki Lessons:
    Abenaki language lessons from an Odanak elder.
Abenaki Alphabet:
    Phonology and spelling of the Abenaki language.
Abenaki (Alnôba):
    Profile of the Abenaki language including a phonological inventory, orthographies and a prayer.
Abenaki Language: Description:
    Marianne Mithun's linguistics profile of Abenaki-Penobscot.
Abenaki Language: Orthography:
    Excerpt from Gordon Day's Western Abenaki dictionary.
Abanaki and English Dialogues:
    Joseph Laurent's 1884 Abnaki grammar.

Abenaki-Penobscot Glossaries and Sound Files

Freelang Abenaki Dictionary:
    Free downloadable wordlist from the Western Abenaki language.
Common Abenaki Words * Abenaki Lexicons:
    Abnaki-English wordlists.
Abenaki Words and Phrases * Abenaki Conversation:
    Abenaki language phrasebooks.
Penobscot Primer Project:
    Audio clips of the last fluent Penobscot speaker, Madeline Shay.

Literature and Texts in the Penobscot-Abenaki Language

Abenaki-Penobscot Prayers * Nemit8kusena:
    Christian prayers in the Abenaki language.
Canadian Human Rights Tribute: Abenaki-Penobscot:
    American Indian language plaque written in Abnaki-Penobscot.

Penobscot-Abenaki Language Preservation and Usage

Teens Play Role in Reviving Penobscot * Teacher Keeps Penobscot Language Alive:
    Articles about the language revival program of the Penobscot tribe.
Legacy of a Saved Language:
    Story of Stephen Laurent's life work to preserve the Abenaki language in a dictionary.
Ethnologue: Western Abnaki * Ethnologue: Eastern Abnaki:
    Demographic information about the Penobscot-Abenaki language.

Abnaki-Penobscot Proper Names

Abenaki Place Names:
    Placenames in the Abenaki language.
Streets of Odanak:
    Abenaki place names from Odanak, Quebec.
Common Wabanaki Names * Abenaki Names:
    Lists of Abnaki names.
Native American Names for Pets:
    Fundraiser offering names for dogs and other animals in Native American languages (including Abenaki-Penobscot).

Abnaki-Penobscot Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources

English-Abenaki Dictionary:
    Gordon Day's Abenaki dictionary for sale.
French-Abenaki Dictionary:
    Abenaki elder Stephen Laurent's updated edition of Aubry's 1755 Abenaki dictionary.
Abnaki Resources:
    Audio tapes and videos of spoken Abnaki prayers, stories, and music .
Vermont Historical Society: Abenaki:
    Books on the Abnaki for sale, including a language book and tape (Alnobaodwa).
Abenaki (Eastern Algonquian) * Abnaki Revitalization Resources:
    Bibliographies of Abenaki-Penobscot language materials.
Native American Language Dictionaries:
    Abenaki and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.

Additional Resources, Links, and References

Wikipedia: Abenaki Language:
Encyclopedia articles on the Abnaki Indian language.
L'Abénaki * Abénaki Lexique * Abénaki Conversation:
Abenaki language articles in French.
Eastern Abenaki Language * Western Abenaki Language:
Articles on Abenaki in Spanish.
Abenaki Language:
Abnaki Indian links.



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