High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Proto-Algonquian (commonly abbreviated PA) is the name given to the proto-language from which the various languages of the Algonquian family are descended. It is generally estimated to have been spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago, but on the question of where it was spoken there is less agreement. The Algonquian family, which is a branch of the larger Algic language family, is usually divided into three subgroups: Eastern Algonquian, which is a genetic subgroup, and Central Algonquian and Plains Algonquian, both of which are areal groupings. Proto-Algonquian is one of the best-studied proto-languages, particularly compared with the many other North American language families, and researchers have had notable success in reconstructing its phonology and grammar.