SDÁ 1/2016: Ilona Rauhala

Sámegiela sn-álgosaš sánit etymologalaš geahčastagas

Ilona Rauhala (Helssega universitehta)

Viečča artihkkala: Sámegiela sn-álgosaš sánit etymologalaš geahčastagas (pdf).

Sátneálgosaš konsonántačoahkit leat oalle ođđa fenomenat sámegielain. Dat gávdnojit goittotge sihke loatnasániin ja árbesániin, earenoamážit ekspressiiva sániin. Dát dutkamuš guorahallá davvisámegiela sn-álgosaš sániid semantihkalaččat ja etymologalaččat. Čuolbmagažaldagat leat, maid sn-sánit mearkkašit ja gos ja goas dat leat boahtán sámegillii. Jearan maiddái mo konsonántačoahkki sn– lea ihtán sániide. Leago dat álo boahtán loatnasáni mielde vai leago s– ihtán sátnái maŋŋelis ja man dihtii? Dutkamuša metoda lea etymologalaš. Lean čoaggán materiála Álgu-diehtovuođus, mii lea etymologalaš diehtovuođđu. Materiálan leat davvisámegiela sánit. Dutkkan sániid semantihka ja daid vuolggasaji, ja daid vuođul juogán sániid joavkkuide. Geahčan makkár gielain sánit leat luoikkahuvvon ja dan bokte geahččalan ipmirdit, mo sátneálgosaš konsonántačoahkki sn– lea ihtán gillii ja makkár funkšuvdna das lea. Dutkamuša bohtosat leat, ahte sámegiela sn-álgosaš sániid semantihkalaš giettit leat hui seammaláganat go sn-álgosaš sániid semantihkka skandinávalaš gielain. Sihke sámegielain ja skandinávalaš gielain sátneálgosaš sn– gávdno sániin, mat leat ekspressiivvat. Leage jáhkehahtti, ahte sn-sániin leat dihto semantihkalaš attrakšuvdnaguovddážat, mat gesset ođđa sániid mielde vaikke dain álgoálggus ii livččege leamaš sn-, nugo snuolga dahje suopmelaš loatnasánit nugo snogas. Dán artihkkalis evttohuvvojit moadde ođđa loatnaetymologiija sihke skandinávalaš gielain (nugo snuoggat) ja suomagielas (snogas).

Fáddásánit: etymologiija, semantihkka, jietnasymbolihkka, ekspressiiva sánit, onomatopoetikon

An etymological study of words with word-initial sn– in North Saami

Consonant clusters are a new phenomenon in the phonological structure of North Saami, and many words with a consonant cluster in the first syllable express affective meaning. This is particularly true of words that have a word-initial consonant cluster. The aim of this study is to discuss North Saami words beginning with the consonant cluster sn– from the perspectives of both etymology and semantics. The questions of this study are: What is the meaning of words with word-initial sn-?, and When and how have the words been adapted to Saami?

This study uses etymological methods to probe the background of the words. I have collected the material of the study from Álgu – an etymological database of the Saami vocabulary, and my material consists of North Saami words. I study the etymological background of words with word-initial sn-, and try to understand how word-initial sn– entered the North Saami vocabulary and what functions it has. The aim is to show that sn-words are attracted to certain semantic groups, and that the groups display semantics quite similar to that of sn-words in Scandinavian languages, from which many of the sn-words have been borrowed into Saami. In this study I suggest new Scandinavian and Finnish etymologies for some word-initial sn-words in Saami. Especially the Finnish etymologies are crucial, since they do not originally have the sn– cluster in Finnish, so it must have appeared after the words were borrowed into Saami. Thus this study proves that an initial s can appear in a word, given the appropriate semantic motivation.

Keywords: etymology, semantics, sound symbolism, expressive words, onomatopoeia