Coloured circles The coloured circles surrounding the white dots do not represent and are not related to linguistic or territorial boundaries. Each circle has an arbitrary radius of 150 kilometres.
Dots on the map The languages represented in this atlas are by no means exhaustive. More languages are added to the database as the atlas develops and reaches a wider audience. In linguistic maps, the absence of an item reflects an absence of data, as opposed to the absence of a language or item in the real world.
Spelling The way a form appears in the atlas depends on the spelling conventions or preferences of each language group, community, or individual. For example, differences in the use of punctuation and capital letters. When the language/dialect group has not yet agreed on a standard orthography, no text is provided.
Reconstructed forms An asterisk (*) before a sound, word, or phrase in the legend indicates a reconstructed Proto-Algonquian form.