Davvisámegiella
Northern Sami
Uralic (Saami)
Also known as: Northern Sami, Davvisamegiella
Northern Sámi is the largest of the Sámi languages, spoken across the Sápmi region spanning the northern Fenno-Scandinavian Cap (northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland). It belongs to the Saami branch of Uralic and features extensive consonant gradation, an eight-case noun system, and rich vocabulary for reindeer herding, snow conditions, and Arctic ecology. Northern Sámi has co-official status in numerous municipalities and is the medium of higher education at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Kautokeino.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Northern Sami
Water
čáhci
/tʃaːhtsi/
Fire
dolla
/dolːa/
Sun
beaivi
/peɑjvi/
Moon
mánnu
/maːnːu/
Mother
eadni
/eɑdni/
Father
áhčči
/aːhtʃːi/
Eat
borrat
/porːat/
Drink
juhkat
/juhkat/
Love
ráhkisvuohta
/raːhkisvuɔhta/
Heart
váibmu
/vajpmu/
Tree
muorra
/muɔrːa/
House
viessu
/viesːu/
Dog
beana
/peɑna/
Cat
bussá
/pusːa/
Hand
giehta
/kiehta/
Eye
čalbmi
/tʃalpmi/
Hello
bures
/pures/
Thank you
giitu
/kiːtu/
One
okta
/okta/
Good
buorre
/puɔrːe/
Words compared
Compared with related Uralic (Saami) languages
| Meaning | Northern Sami | Lule Sámi | Inari Sámi | Skolt Sámi | Southern Sámi | Kildin Sámi | Livonian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | čáhci /tʃaːhtsi/ | tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ | čääci /tʃæːtsi/ | čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ | tjaetsie /tʃaeʰtsie/ | чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ | vež /vɛʒ/ |
| Fire | dolla /dolːa/ | dålla /tolːa/ | tollâ /tolːa/ | toll /tolː/ | dolle /dolːe/ | тоалл /toallʲ/ | tūl /tuːl/ |
| Sun | beaivi /peɑjvi/ | biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ | peivi /peivi/ | peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ | biejjie /pie̯jːie/ | пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ | pǟva /pæːva/ |
| Moon | mánnu /maːnːu/ | máno /maːno/ | maanu /maːnu/ | mään /mæːn/ | aske /askə/ | ма̄нн /maːnn/ | kūʼ /kuː/ |
| Mother | eadni /eɑdni/ | iedne /iedne/ | enni /enːi/ | jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ | tjidtjie /tʃitːʃie/ | е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ | jemā /jɛmaː/ |
| Father | áhčči /aːhtʃːi/ | áhttje /aːhtːje/ | eeči /eːtʃi/ | eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ | aehtjie /aeʰtʃie/ | а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ | izā /izaː/ |
| Eat | borrat /porːat/ | bårråt /porːot/ | porrâđ /porːað/ | poorrâd /porːad/ | byöpmedidh /pyœpmedih/ | пӯрраҥе /puːrraŋe/ | sīedõ /siːədə/ |
| Drink | juhkat /juhkat/ | juhkat /juhkat/ | jukkâđ /jukːað/ | juukkâd /juːkːad/ | jovkedh /jovkəh/ | югкаҥе /jukkaŋe/ | jūodõ /juːədə/ |
| Love | ráhkisvuohta /raːhkisvuɔhta/ | ráhkesvuohta /raːhkesvuɔhta/ | rähistus /ræhistus/ | rääʹǩǩesvuõtt /ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/ | gieriesvoete /ɡieriesvuəte/ | па̄ллай /paːllaj/ | ārmaztõ /aːrmastə/ |
| Heart | váibmu /vajpmu/ | vájmmo /vajmːo/ | vájmu /vaːjmu/ | vueʹmm /vuemʲː/ | vaajmoe /vaːjmoe/ | чӯлм /tʃuːlm/ | sidām /sidaːm/ |
| Tree | muorra /muɔrːa/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ | muorâ /muɔra/ | muõrr /muɔrː/ | moere /moːrə/ | муэрр /muerr/ | pū /puː/ |
| House | viessu /viesːu/ | viesso /viesːo/ | stuobbâ /stuɔbːa/ | kåʹdd /kɔdʲː/ | gåetie /ɡoətie/ | пэ̄ҏҏт /peːrrt/ | kuodā /kuədaː/ |
| Dog | beana /peɑna/ | bena /pena/ | peenâg /peːnaɡ/ | piânnaj /pianːaj/ | bïenje /piːnje/ | пенне /penne/ | piņ /piɲ/ |
| Cat | bussá /pusːa/ | kássa /kaːsːa/ | kissá /kisːaː/ | kõõšš /kɵːʃː/ | gaahtoe /ɡaːhtoe/ | ке̄ршш /keːrʃː/ | kaš /kaʃ/ |
| Hand | giehta /kiehta/ | gietta /kietːa/ | kietâ /kieta/ | ǩeätt /kʲætː/ | gïete /kiːte/ | кэдт /kʲedt/ | kež /kɛʒ/ |
| Eye | čalbmi /tʃalpmi/ | tjalmme /tʃalmːe/ | čalme /tʃalme/ | čââlm /tʃæːlm/ | tjelmie /tʃelmie/ | чальм /tʃalʲm/ | sīlma /siːlma/ |
| Hello | bures /pures/ | buoris /puɔris/ | tiervâ /tierva/ | tiõrv /tiɵrv/ | buerie biejjie /puerie pie̯jːie/ | тиерв /tʲierv/ | tervīst /tɛrviːst/ |
| Thank you | giitu /kiːtu/ | gijttuo /kijtːuɔ/ | tiittu /tiːtːu/ | späʹsseb /spæsʲːeb/ | gæjhtoe /kæjhtoe/ | пасьпе /pasʲpe/ | tienū /tiɛnuː/ |
| One | okta /okta/ | aktan /aktan/ | ohtâ /ohta/ | õhtt /ɵhtː/ | akte /aktə/ | ыкт /ɨkt/ | ikš /ikʃ/ |
| Good | buorre /puɔrːe/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ | pyere /pyere/ | šiõǥǥ /ʃiɵɣː/ | hijven /hijven/ | шӣгг /ʃiːɡː/ | jõvā /jəvaː/ |
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