Muskogean

Muskogean is a language family of Indigenous languages spoken in the southeastern United States. The family is named for the Muskogean-speaking peoples who historically occupied the region, including groups associated with the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek (Muskogee), and Seminole nations. Muskogean languages are related through a common ancestral language and share certain grammatical and phonological features that distinguish them from neighboring language families.

The Muskogean language family includes a number of living and extinct varieties. Widely spoken in the past and with continuing use today are Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek (Muskogee), Koasati, and Seminole. Other varieties, such as the Alabama language and Apalachee, are extinct or nearly so. The Miccosukee language (often treated as a dialect of Mikasuki) is spoken by the Miccosukee in Florida. The geographic distribution of these languages historically covered much of the southeastern coastal plain, with some communities today in Oklahoma and Florida, among other locations.

Scholars traditionally divide Muskogean into two broad branches, Eastern Muskogean and Western Muskogean, with multiple subgroups within each branch. The internal classification of Muskogean has varied over time as researchers refine its relationships and examine historical dialects, lexicon, and typology. As a result, precise subgrouping can differ among sources.

Status and revitalization efforts are important aspects of the Muskogean picture today. Many Muskogean languages have small speaker populations and are considered endangered or vulnerable. Tribes and language organizations undertake documentation, education, and community programs to preserve and revitalize these languages, often emphasizing immersion schools, bilingual materials, and intergenerational transmission.