Editing Lenape Language (section)

== Documentation and Preservation ==

The Lenape language was documented extensively during the colonial period, making it one of the best-recorded indigenous languages of eastern North America. Swedish, Dutch, and English colonists compiled word lists and phrase books for trade and missionary purposes beginning in the 17th century. The most significant early documentation came from Moravian missionaries, particularly David Zeisberger, who lived among the Lenape for decades during the 18th century and produced grammars, dictionaries, and translations of religious texts. These materials, while filtered through European linguistic assumptions and missionary purposes, provide invaluable records of the language as it was spoken during the colonial era.<ref name="zeisberger">{{cite book |last=Zeisberger |first=David |title=Grammar of the Language of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians |year=1827 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

Today, both Unami and Munsee are critically endangered languages. The forced relocations of the 18th and 19th centuries disrupted language transmission, and by the 20th century, the number of fluent speakers had dwindled to a handful of elderly community members. The last fully fluent native speaker of Unami, Edward Thompson, died in 2002, and Munsee has only a few elderly speakers remaining. However, concerted revitalization efforts are underway in Lenape communities in Oklahoma, Ontario, and elsewhere. Language classes, immersion programs, and digital resources are working to create new speakers and ensure that the language survives for future generations.<ref name="lenapenation">{{cite web |url=https://delawarenation.com/culture-preservation/language/ |title=Language Preservation |publisher=Delaware Nation |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>