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No, they spoke many thousands of different languages throughout the Americas. Even neighbouring tribes could not understand each other - such as the Comanche and Kiowa, who were allied in the fight against white settlers.
All the member tribes of the Iroquois League spoke entirely different languages, even though they were all classed as "Iroquoian".
This difference in language was no barrier to communication. Some tribespeople married into other tribes and learned their language, becoming effective interpreters. In most of the Americas sign languages developed, such as the Plains sign language which enabled (for example) a Crow warrior to have a long, silent conversation with a Nez Perce warrior, even at a distance from each other. Sign language was designed to work both face-to-face and at 200 yards away.
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∙ 11y ago
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∙ 16y agoEach Native tribe had it's own language! They used some sign language so that most tribes could communicate basic information with other tribes, but in general, tribes considered themselves to be actual "people" and everybody else was thought of as outsiders. If you look up the tribe name, like "Lakota" or "Dineh" the meaning of almost every one will be "The People."
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∙ 14y agoThis question and answer is intended as a semi-catch all question about "Native American Language(s)." First: There is no single Native American Language; there are around 4,000 tribes with unique languages, and some tribes have different clan dialects that further complicate the languages. Second: Since there is no single language in use, any questions about that language is a question that cannot be answered as there is not enough information to answer it; however most do not know that there is no such language so it is not appropriate to simply trash the question because of that. So, if your question gets redirected here please ask it again and be more specific about the language you are interested in (Most languages are defined by the Tribe name, such as: Lakota / Dakota / Sioux, Cherokee, Arapaho, etc.)
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∙ 10y agoCherokee developed a written language independently. Sequoyah (1770-1840) invented a syllabary to write the Cherokee language in the late 1810s and early 1820s. He could not read or write before he created it. It has 85 characters. Some look like Latin or Greek characters but do not have the same sound because he could not read English, he just understood the general idea. It was an amazing achievement. By 1828 there were two newspapers in the written language and literacy was close to 90%, much higher than the white American literacy rate.
The Mayans in Central America also had a written language from the 3rd century BC to the 1800s similar to the way Japanese is written with characters for syllables.
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∙ 9y agoThere were two main large language families in the Northeast.
Algonquin was one with 13 languages or more depending on how you count and where you draw the borders.
They are:
Eastern Abnaki, Western Abnaki, Etchemin, Munsee, Unami, Nipmuck, Mahican, Malecite-Passamaquoddy, Wampanoag, Mi'kmaq, Narragansett, Mohegan-Pequot, Quiripi-Naugatuck.
The other main family was Iroquoian with about 9 in the Northeast.
They are:
Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Susquehannock, Wenrohronon, Neutral, Erie, Tuscarora, Laurentia
Some of the ones that are listed as a single language with "dialects" may actually have separate languages as different as English and Dutch or Spanish and Italian.
A language family is a group of related languages, they may not be understandable to each other. For example, English, Russian, Italian and Icelandic and Hindi and Persian are all in one family. Turkish is a different family. Arabic and Hebrew are in another family together.
The word dialect often means it is still understandable and mainly the same language but at other times it is used to refer to completely different languages such as Chinese "dialects" Mandarin and Cantonese.
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∙ 12y agoAt that time, there were over 3000 tribes in North America, speaking more than 800 different native languages.
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∙ 12y agoOf course they do. They live in the United States of America, where everyone speaks English.
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Did the Native Americans speak anything you use now?
A list of several hundred words transferred from American aboriginal languages to English is at the link
Why did tensions increase between native Americans and white settlers?
because the white folks, (English, Columbus all they wanted was gold and eventually the native Americans ran out of gold, and said that they didn't have anymore. but the English demanded more and the native Americans couldn't give them anymore. so the English started to kill more native Americans
Why were English colonist so successful at enslaving Native Americans?
The English colonist were successful at enslaving Native Americans for a number of reasons. Firstly the English had superior military technology such as guns and cannons. This gave them an advantage in any conflict with the Native Americans who had limited access to firearms. Secondly the English also had access to diseases that the Native Americans had not yet been exposed to such as smallpox which decimated their population. Finally the English had access to a vast network of trading and military alliances which allowed them to outmaneuver the Native Americans in any conflict. The English colonist were therefore able to take advantage of these factors to gain control over the Native Americans and enslave them. This involved a combination of military force disease and political maneuvering to gain control of Native American lands resources and labor. The English were then able to use the Native Americans as a source of free labor as well as a source of resources to support the growing English colonies.
How did growing troubles between English colonists and Native Americans change life in New England?
by 1630 a lot of colonist did not come over after the pilgrims. when they did a lot of them thought they did not need the help of the native Americans. so they started to take over the native Americans' land. more happened but that is how the troubles grew between English colonist and the native Americans
How and why did the federal government encourage native Americans to assimilate?
The federal government made laws forcing Native Americans to learn English and speak only English. They trained Native American wives to be good and proper English housewives. They provided money and compliments for those who learned quickly and adjusted to the American ways. The American government did this because the American Government was against anyone being different than them. They wanted everyone to be the same as them because they were the "elite" people.
What ability did Squanto have that other Native Americans did not?
Squanto had the ability to speak English at a time when very few Native Americans could not. Today almost all Native Americans in the United States and Cananda can speak English.
What languages are spoken by African Americans?
English is the most commonly spoken language among African Americans. Additionally, some African Americans also speak African languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, or Twi, depending on their heritage or upbringing. Spanish is another language that some African Americans may speak, particularly if they have roots in Latin America or the Caribbean.
How do people know about native Americans?
Many speak English; ask them, they will tell you.
Did native Americans speak French?
No, native Indians did not speak French.
What is the percent of Americans who speak English?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 96% of Americans speak English.
What language did Hispanic Americans speak?
Hispanic-Americans speak Spanish and English. Hispanic people are language-defined, for they speak Spanish as native language. (Simply learning fluent Spanish, does NOT magically turn you Hispanic!) Some Americans who are descendants of Hispanics don't speak Spanish anymore, so they just speak English as their active tongues.
Did the English and the Native Americans have the same language?
No. The English spoke English, and the Native Americans spoke various languages native to North America.
English settlers often angered Native Americans by?
the english settlers often angered the native americans by
What language do Native Americans speak in Washington?
Native Washingtonians (which makes as much sense as saying Native Americans) includes many tribes-Cathlamet, Chilluckittequaw, Columbia, Hoh, Humptulips, Klickitat, Lummi and so on. Unfortunately a lot of these languages have now been lost and many just speak English.
How do you speak like a native speaker in US?
Your question does not make all that much sense if you mean how do you speak English like a native American the answer is you will never be fully able to, but if you surround yourself with Americans you will come close.
What English do Americans speak?
American English
What did the English believe about the native Americans?
The English believed the Native Americans were savage and uncivilized. They believed, along with many Americans, that they should be eradicated.
