|alt= Traditionally the tribe spoke the Narragansett language, a member of the
Algonquian language family. The language became almost entirely extinct during the centuries of
European colonization in New England through
cultural assimilation. The tribe has begun language revival efforts, based on early-20th-century books and manuscripts, and new teaching programs. The Narragansett spoke a "Y-dialect", similar enough to the "N-dialects" of the
Massachusett and
Wampanoag to be mutually intelligible. Other Y-dialects include the
Shinnecock and
Pequot languages spoken historically by tribes on Long Island and in Connecticut, respectively. In the 17th century,
Roger Williams, a co-founder of Rhode Island, learned the tribe's language. He documented it in his 1643 work,
A Key Into the Language of America. Williams gave the tribe's name as
Nanhigganeuck.
American English has absorbed a number of loan words from Narragansett and other closely related languages, such as Wampanoag and Massachusett. Such words include
quahog, moose, papoose, powwow, squash, and
succotash. == Language revival efforts ==