Sámi languages

The Sámi languages (US: /ˈsɑːmi/ SAH-mee, UK: also /ˈsæmi/ SAM-ee) are a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sámi people in Northern Europe. These languages are mainly used in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden, and a small part of extreme northwestern Russia.

There are ten or more Sámi languages, depending on how they are grouped and divided. Over time, many different spellings have been used for these languages, such as Sámi, Sami, Saami, Saame, Sámic, Samic, and Saamic. Some older names like Lappish and Lappic, as well as the word Lapp, are now seen as unkind or offensive.

These languages are important because they belong to the indigenous Sámi people and help keep their culture and history alive. Learning about them lets us appreciate the rich traditions of this unique group of people living in the cold northern regions.

Classification

The Sámi languages are a group of languages in the Uralic language family. People mainly speak them in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden, and a small part of Russia.

These languages are split into two main groups: western and eastern. Some Sámi languages can understand each other well if the speakers live close together. But languages from far apart groups often cannot understand each other without learning or practicing a lot. This shows that in the past, these language speakers did not mix much.

Geographic distribution

The Sami languages are spoken in Sápmi in Northern Europe. This area covers parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

In the past, Sami languages were also spoken in central and southern Finland and parts of Scandinavia. Today, these Sami languages are no longer spoken.

History

The Proto-Sámi language is thought to have started near the Gulf of Finland between 1000 BC and 700 AD. It came from a common language shared with Finnic speakers. The language spread to northern Fennoscandia and reached central Scandinavia around 500 AD. During this time, it mixed with older languages from people who lived in the area that is now Sápmi.

Written languages and sociolinguistic situation

Today, there are nine living Sámi languages. Eight of these have their own way of writing, while one has only a few older speakers left. The special code used for all Sámi languages without their own code is "smi".

The eight written Sámi languages are:

• Northern Sami (spoken in Norway, Sweden, and Finland)
• Lule Sami (spoken in Norway and Sweden)
• Ume Sami (spoken in Norway and Sweden)
• Pite Sami
• Southern Sami (spoken in Norway and Sweden)
• Inari Sami (spoken in Inari, Finland)
• Skolt Sami (spoken in parts of Finland and Russia)
• Kildin Sami (spoken on the Kola Peninsula in Russia)

Some other Sámi languages are in danger of disappearing, with very few speakers left, or they have already disappeared.

Orthographies

Main article: Sámi orthography

Most Sámi languages use Latin alphabets with some extra letters.

The use of Ææ and Øø in Norway and Ää and Öö in Sweden comes from the standard alphabets of those countries.

The letter Đ in Sámi languages is a special capital D with a bar across it (Unicode code point U+0110). This symbol is also found in Serbo-Croatian and Vietnamese.

The capital letter Ŋ (eng) in Sámi languages usually has a hook added to the normal Latin uppercase N. Unicode gives it the code point U+014A.

The Skolt Sámi standard uses ʹ (U+02B9) as a soft sign, but other apostrophe-like symbols are also sometimes used in books.

The Kildin Sámi orthography uses the Russian Cyrillic script with extra letters: А̄а̄ Ӓӓ Е̄е̄ Ё̄ё̄ Һһ/ʼ Ӣӣ Јј/Ҋҋ Ӆӆ Ӎӎ Ӊӊ Ӈӈ О̄о̄ Ҏҏ Ӯӯ Ҍҍ Э̄э̄ Ӭӭ Ю̄ю̄ Я̄я̄

Availability

In December 2023, Apple added on-screen keyboards for all eight spoken Sámi languages with iOS and iPadOS version 17.2. This lets Sámi speakers easily use their language on iPhones and iPads.

• Sámi on-screen keyboards on iPhones
• Inari Sámi
• Kildin Sámi
• Lule Sámi
• Northern Sámi
• Pite Sámi
• Skolt Sámi
• Southern Sámi
• Ume Sámi

The Finnish SFS 5966 keyboard standard from 2008 makes it easy to type Sámi languages using AltGr and dead diacritic keys.

• Original SFS-5966 layout; dead diacritic keys in red

Official status

Norway

In 1988, the Norwegian Constitution said the government should help the Sami people keep their language and culture. The Sami Language Act started in the 1990s, making Sami an official language in eight towns in northern Norway. These towns are Kautokeino Municipality, Karasjok Municipality, Kåfjord Municipality, Nesseby Municipality, Porsanger Municipality, Tana Municipality, Tysfjord Municipality, Lavangen Municipality, and Snåsa Municipality. In 2005, Sami was recognized as a regional or minority language in Norway.

Sweden

On April 1, 2000, Sami became one of five recognized minority languages in Sweden. It can be used with government offices in Arjeplog Municipality, Gällivare Municipality, Jokkmokk Municipality, and Kiruna Municipality. In 2011, more areas were added. Universities in Sweden teach different Sami languages.

Finland

In Finland, a law from 1991 let Northern, Inari, and Skolt Sami people use their languages with government services. A later law in 2003 made Sami an official language in Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä and Utsjoki towns. Some important documents are translated into these languages. Schools teach Sami to children.

Russia

In Russia, Sami is not an official language anywhere. It is listed as an Indigenous minority language. Since 2012, (Kildin) Sami has been taught at the Murmansk State Technical University.

Lexicon

The words in different Sámi languages are both similar and different. You can see how nearby languages have influenced the words Sámi people use.

The word for "language" is almost the same in all Sámi languages, even if the spelling changes a little. The words for "Finland" sound similar to the word Sámi people use for their own land, Sápmi, and also to the Finnish word for their country, Suomi. The word for someone from Norway is linked to a word that means "foreigner." In Ume and Lule Sámi, the same word is used for both Norwegian and Swedish people.