1. French: French was the predominant language spoken by the French colonists and was the official language of the colony. It was used in government, education, and everyday communication among the French population.
2. Algonquian Languages: There were various Algonquian languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the region. Some of the notable Algonquian languages included Innu (Montagnais), Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), Mi'kmaq, Abenaki, and Algonquin. These languages were spoken by the indigenous communities in present-day Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes.
3. Iroquoian Languages: Iroquoian languages were spoken by the indigenous Iroquois Confederacy, which included the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations. These languages were primarily spoken in present-day New York and parts of Quebec and Ontario.
4. Huron-Wendat Language: The Huron-Wendat people, who inhabited the region around present-day Georgian Bay in Ontario, had their own distinct language, Huron-Wendat (known as Wyandot in the United States).
5. Dutch and English: In the early 17th century, the Dutch established a colony called New Netherland in the Hudson River Valley. Dutch was the primary language spoken in the colony, which included parts of present-day New York and Connecticut. Later on, the English gained control of the region, and English became the dominant language.
6. Spanish and Basque: Spanish and Basque were spoken by a small number of Basque whalers and fishermen from Spain who settled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 16th and 17th centuries.
While these were some of the main languages spoken in New France, there were likely other languages present due to the diverse origins of explorers and traders. Language interactions between indigenous communities, European colonizers, and visitors created unique language dynamics in different parts of the region.