▁in ▁public ▁places . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁related ▁languages ▁ ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Alg ic ▁languages , ▁a ▁family ▁that ▁once ▁sp anned ▁from ▁a ▁small ▁portion ▁of ▁California ▁across ▁Central ▁Canada , ▁the ▁Mid western ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁coast ▁of ▁North ▁America . ▁Within ▁this ▁family , ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Alg on qu ian ▁subgroup ▁spoken ▁largely ▁along ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁coast . ▁It ▁is ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁several ▁ext ant ▁languages , ▁such ▁as ▁Male cite - Pass ama qu od dy , ▁Mass ach us ett ▁and ▁Mun see ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ext inct ▁languages ▁like ▁A ben aki ▁and ▁Un ami . ▁Bey ond ▁having ▁a ▁similar ▁language ▁background ▁and ▁sharing ▁close ▁ge ographic ▁proxim ity , ▁the ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁not ably ▁held ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁four ▁other ▁tribes ▁within ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Alg on qu ian ▁language ▁group ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁W aban aki ▁Confeder acy : ▁in ▁short , ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁long - term ▁language ▁contact ▁has ▁existed ▁between ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁and ▁its ▁close ▁lingu istic ▁relatives . ▁ ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁has ▁many ▁similar ities ▁with ▁its ▁fellow ▁Eastern ▁Alg on qu ian ▁languages , ▁including ▁multiple ▁word ▁cogn ates : ▁for ▁instance , ▁compare ▁the ▁Mi <0xEA> <0x9E> <0x8C> k ma q ▁word ▁for ▁" w oman ",