Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Odawa, Odaawaa, Eastern Ojibwa
CLASSIFICATION		Algic, Algonquian, Ojibwa-Potawatomi
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		otw
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Commonly referred to as Odawa in Canada and as Ottawa in the US. Ethnologue calls Ottawa a member of the Ojibwa "macro-language."

Compare Sources (5)

Information from: “North America” (7-41) . Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco (2008) , Chris Moseley and Ron Asher · Routledge

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~2,000?
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The most vigorous community of speakers today is at the Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. There perhaps half of the population of over 3,000 has some fluency in the language. There are also several hundred speakers on Walpole Island and other reserves in Ontario, and in Michigan, where the largest community is on the Isabella Reservation.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Canada; USA

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,269
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Canada; USA

PLACES: Canada; USA

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
7100
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
60,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
7100 in Canada. Ethnic population: 60,000.

DATE OF INFO: 1996

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Dying out in many areas. Still vigorous on Manitoulin Island. Mainly adults. Also use English [eng].

PLACES: Canada; USA

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Ontario, Michigan: Ontario: Islands, areas surrounding Lake Huron, from Manitoulin Island to southern Ontario north of Lake Erie. Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through base of Bruce Peninsula. Also in United States. Michigan: Lower Michigan, upper Michigan near Sault Ste. Marie.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Islands, areas surrounding Lake Huron, from Manitoulin Island to southern Ontario north of Lake Erie. Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through base of Bruce Peninsula (Rhodes 1976).

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
12,500?
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ethnologue cites Ojibwa figures together with Ottawa counts, making it difficult to see what is meant to refer only to Ottawa.
Canada: 7100 (1996 First Nations Language of Origin Map). Nishnaabemwin is an emergent language, fusion of Ottawa and Eastern Ojibwa [ojg], having a couple thousand speakers (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 60,000. Total users in all countries: 12,500.
US: 330 Ottawa (1990 census). 5400 in United States (1990 census). 330 Ottawa, 5,070 Ojibwa. Ethnic population: 8,910 (2000 census). 560 Ottawa, 8,350 Ojibwa.

DATE OF INFO: 1996 (Canada), 1990 (US)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Dying out in many areas. Still vigorous on Manitoulin Island. Mainly adults.

PLACES: Canada: Ontario: Lake Huron area islands, Manitoulin Island; Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through Bruce Peninsula (Rhodes 1976). US: Michigan: near Sault Sainte Marie and elsewhere.

2nd edition	2010	Endangered Languages of the United States	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing	108-130	Christopher Moseley		UNESCO	Paris		Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell	Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell. 2010. "Endangered Languages of the United States." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. 108-130. UNESCO.													Canada; USA		46.1519,-82.2243; 43.5971,-84.7752; 42.6068,-82.5195
3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris	http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		3,269		1000-9999			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada; USA		42.6068,-82.5195
	2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas	http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.			12,500?	1996 (Canada), 1990 (US)	10000-99999	Ethnologue cites Ojibwa figures together with Ottawa counts, making it difficult to see what is meant to refer only to Ottawa. Canada: 7100 (1996 First Nations Language of Origin Map). Nishnaabemwin is an emergent language, fusion of Ottawa and Eastern Ojibwa [ojg], having a couple thousand speakers (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 60,000. Total users in all countries: 12,500. US: 330 Ottawa (1990 census). 5400 in United States (1990 census). 330 Ottawa, 5,070 Ojibwa. Ethnic population: 8,910 (2000 census). 560 Ottawa, 8,350 Ojibwa.		Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	Dying out in many areas. Still vigorous on Manitoulin Island. Mainly adults.	15		Canada: Ontario: Lake Huron area islands, Manitoulin Island; Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through Bruce Peninsula (Rhodes 1976). US: Michigan: near Sault Sainte Marie and elsewhere.
	2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London		Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.			~2,000?		1000-9999	The most vigorous community of speakers today is at the Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. There perhaps half of the population of over 3,000 has some fluency in the language. There are also several hundred speakers on Walpole Island and other reserves in Ontario, and in Michigan, where the largest community is on the Isabella Reservation.	English	Severely Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14		14		Canada; USA
16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	60,000	7100	1996	1000-9999	7100 in Canada. Ethnic population: 60,000.		Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	Dying out in many areas. Still vigorous on Manitoulin Island. Mainly adults. Also use English [eng].		Islands, areas surrounding Lake Huron, from Manitoulin Island to southern Ontario north of Lake Erie. Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through base of Bruce Peninsula (Rhodes 1976).	Canada; USA	Ontario, Michigan: Ontario: Islands, areas surrounding Lake Huron, from Manitoulin Island to southern Ontario north of Lake Erie. Walople Island Reserve. West of a north south line through base of Bruce Peninsula. Also in United States. Michigan: Lower Michigan, upper Michigan near Sault Ste. Marie.

Ottawa

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~2,000?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,269

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7100

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12,500?

Discussion

Ottawa

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~2,000?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,269

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7100

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12,500?

Discussion

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