Mosan | |
---|---|
(obsolete) | |
Geographic distribution |
British Columbia, Washington |
Linguistic classification | Algonquian–Wakashan ? |
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | None |
Mosan is a hypothetical language family consisting of the Salishan, Wakashan, and Chimakuan languages of the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It was proposed by Edward Sapir in 1929 in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Little evidence has been adduced in favor of such a grouping, no progress has been made in reconstructing it, and it is now thought to reflect a language area rather than a genealogical relationship. It persists outside the professional linguistic literature owing to Sapir's stature.