The S\u00e1mi languages are spoken in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. UNESCO regards all the languages as endangered, but revitalization efforts are taking place in several of them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The S\u00e1mi languages are spoken from the Dalarna area in Sweden, in central Norway and northern Finland and to the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The ten languages are similar in structure and vocabulary but are at least as different from each other as the romance languages (For example French, Spanish, and Italian). However, there is geographical continuity: speakers of neighboring S\u00e1mi languages usually understand each other better than speakers from distant regions. There are also many dialects within the languages, which can make it difficult for speakers from different regions to communicate. The S\u00e1mi languages belong to the Finno-Ugric language family, the same family as Finnish and Hungarian.<\/p>\n
The S\u00e1mi languages are spoken across language borders, and have an especially rich vocabulary when it comes to nature terminology, for instance weather, snow conditions, and reindeer herding. Although all ten S\u00e1mi languages are included in the UNESCO Atlas of the World\u2019s languages in danger, there is a growing trend towards revitalization in several of them.<\/p>\n
An “Orthography”<\/strong> is the conventional spelling system of a language.<\/p>\n The North S\u00e1mi<\/strong> word for language revitalization is “Giellaeal\u00e1skahttin”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Spoken in Norway and Sweden. With just over 500 speakers, it is the most endangered S\u00e1mi language in Norway. An orthography for South S\u00e1mi was approved in 1978. Spoken in Sweden today, historically also in Norway. It is hard to estimate a number of speakers, but Ume S\u00e1mi is undoubtedly an endangered language with few speakers. An orthography was approved in 2016. Spoken in Sweden today, historically also in Norway. Today there are less than 50 speakers of Pite S\u00e1mi in Sweden, and most of them are over the age of 60. Spoken in Sweden and Norway today. There are approximately 650 active users of the language, and as many as 2000 speakers with knowledge of the language. Most speakers live in Sweden. Spoken in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. About 90 % of S\u00e1mi language speakers speak North S\u00e1mi, and there are three main North S\u00e1mi dialects. Spoken in Finland, in the Municipality of Inari. Some place names suggest that Inari S\u00e1mi may have once been spoken on the Norwegian side of the border. Around 450 people speak the language. Spoken in Finland today, historically spoken on the Kola Peninsula in Russia and in the area of Neiden in Norway. There are around 300 native speakers, most in Finland, and at least one speaker in Russia. Development of an orthography began in 1970\u2019s. Spoken in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. About 700 people speak the language and the orthography is based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Was spoken in several villages in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. Several people have knowledge of Ter S\u00e1mi, but nobody is using the language actively as an everyday language. All of the potential Ter S\u00e1mi language users are over 65 years old and live far apart.<\/p>\n Was spoken in several villages in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. Today there are several people with passive knowledge of Akkala S\u00e1mi. References:<\/em> The S\u00e1mi languages are spoken in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. UNESCO regards all the languages as endangered, but revitalization efforts are taking place in several of them.<\/p>\n The S\u00e1mi languages are spoken across national borders as illustrated by the language map. Words, how they are spelled and pronounced, differ between the languages, but are often connected in meaning.<\/p>\n Did you know that the word “heargi”<\/strong> is used about reindeer used for transportation, while the equivalent in South S\u00e1mi “hierkie”<\/strong> means horse? The general term for reindeer used for transportation in South S\u00e1mi is “r\u00e5antjoe”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Did you know that the word for fox is “rieban”<\/strong> in North S\u00e1mi, and this word is the same in all the S\u00e1mi languages with phonological (sound) and orthographical (written language) variations?<\/p>\n Did you know that the word “eadni”<\/strong> is the word for mother in North S\u00e1mi, while in South S\u00e1mi the word for mother is “tjidtjie”<\/strong>. However, the South S\u00e1mi word “tjidtjie”<\/strong> when pronounced, sounds very similar to the North S\u00e1mi word “ci\u017e\u017ei”<\/strong>, which means breast. The word for breast in South S\u00e1mi is “njamma”<\/strong>, which is very similar to the North S\u00e1mi the word “njammat”<\/strong> which means to suck? In Inari S\u00e1mi the word for breast is also “njamma”<\/strong>.<\/p>\nSouth S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> For instance, in the municipality of Sn\u00e5sa in Norway there is a South S\u00e1mi kindergarten where the language is spoken.<\/p>\nUme S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> In 2000 the association \u00c1lgguog\u00e5htie \u2013 Umesamer i samverkan \u2013 was founded. The association promotes the Ume S\u00e1mi language. Several language events have been held and there is a growing interest in reclaiming the language. There is also an ongoing revitalization process in the areas of Hemnes and Rana in Norway.<\/p>\nPite S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> A Pite S\u00e1mi grammar and a dictionary have been published. An orthography was approved in August 2019.<\/p>\nLule S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> Lule S\u00e1mi is taught as a first language in school in Drag, Norway and Nord University in Bod\u00f8, Norway offers a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Lule S\u00e1mi.<\/p>\nNorth S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> North S\u00e1mi is the most accessible language, both in terms of literature, news broadcasts, and other material for those who want to learn a S\u00e1mi language as a foreign language.<\/p>\nInari S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> The number of speakers is slowly increasing due to language revitalization efforts.<\/p>\nSkolt S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> In the municipality of S\u00f8r-Varanger in Norway there are a few language activists, resettled from Finland, who use Skolt S\u00e1mi. The Skolt S\u00e1mi museum in Neiden, Norway offers language courses.<\/p>\nKildin S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> Three dictionaries and a grammar have been published in Kildin S\u00e1mi. Some literature has also been written in the language. There are trained Kildin S\u00e1mi language teachers and some teaching materials developed for schoolchildren. In the town of Lovozero optional Kildin S\u00e1mi teaching is offered for pupils from grade 1-4, but only one hour a week. Sometimes Kildin S\u00e1mi language courses for adults and children are held in several places in the Murmansk region.<\/p>\nTer S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
Akkala S\u00e1mi<\/h3>\n
\nRevitalization:<\/strong> Some Akkala S\u00e1mi in \u00cbna are learning Kildin S\u00e1mi, hoping to switch to Akkala S\u00e1mi later. There is no teaching of Akkala S\u00e1mi, but there is an Akkala S\u00e1mi grammar and there are audio recordings. In 2010 the Akkala S\u00e1mi in \u00cbna established a language and cultural office for language revitalization.<\/p>\n
\nEira, Jaedicke, Magga, Maynard, Vikhamar-Schuler & Mathiesen. (2013).<\/em>
\nOlthuis, Sarivaara, Gerstenberger & Trosterud. (2016).<\/em>
\nTexts on South, Ume, Pite, Lule, North, Inari and Skolt S\u00e1mi from Ri\u0111\u0111u searvi. (2013).<\/em>
\nTexts on Kildin, Ter and Akkala S\u00e1mi provided by Elisabeth Scheller.<\/em><\/p>\nLearn some words in S\u00e1mi<\/h2>\n