* Limited Records: Historical records from that period are incomplete and often biased towards European perspectives. We have little documentation of the languages spoken by Native American groups.
* Linguistic Diversity: Even among Native Americans, the island likely housed multiple distinct languages, potentially belonging to the Lenape (Delaware), Munsee, and other Algonquin groups.
* Migration and Trade: The island was a hub for trade and migration, so there might have been speakers of languages from other areas, including other Algonquin tribes or even European settlers.
Estimate: We can say with certainty that at least two languages were present:
* Lenape (Delaware): This was the primary language of the native inhabitants.
* Dutch: The island was under Dutch control, and Dutch was the official language of New Netherland.
However, the actual number of languages spoken was likely much higher, but we lack the precise data to quantify it.