Algonquian refers to a large family of related Native American languages spoken across a vast area of North America, from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada down to the Carolinas. Languages in this family include Cree, Ojibwe, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and many others. Though these languages differ from each other (much like Spanish and French both belong to the Romance language family but aren't the same), they share common roots and similar structures.

The word also describes the many different Native American peoples who speak or historically spoke these languages. Algonquian peoples had diverse cultures and ways of life: some lived in forests and hunted deer, others lived on plains and hunted bison, and still others lived along coasts and fished. What connected them was their language family.

Many English words come from Algonquian languages, especially words for animals and plants that European settlers encountered for the first time in North America: moose, skunk, chipmunk, raccoon, and pecan all have Algonquian origins. When you use these everyday words, you're speaking a little bit of Algonquian yourself.