Mi’kmawi’simk
/miːɡˈmɑːwiːsɪmk/noun
The Mi’kmaq language, an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by the Mi’kmaq people of Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States.
Did you know?Mi’kmawi’simk is an endonym—a community’s own name for its language—rather than an English label imposed from outside.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Mi’kmaq
Mi’kmawi’simk
“The Mi’kmaq language; the modern orthographic form is used in Mi’kmaq linguistic and educational contexts.”
19th Century
English
Micmac
“An English exonym for the Mi’kmaq people and their language; this spelling reflects older colonial usage.”
19th–20th Century
French/English
Micmac / Mi’kmaq
“Competing spellings circulated in French and English sources for the people whose language is now commonly called Mi’kmawi’simk.”
20th Century
Mi’kmaq
Mi’kmawi’simk
“A standardized community and scholarly name for the Mi’kmaq language.”
Modern English
English
Mi’kmawi’simk
“The established name of the Mi’kmaq language, also called Mi’kmaq in English.”