Julevsámegiella
Lule Sámi
Uralic (Saami)
Lule Sámi (julevsámegiella) is a Western Sámi language spoken on both sides of the Lule River drainage in northern Sweden (Norrbotten County, around Jokkmokk and Gällivare) and adjacent Norway (Tysfjord and Hamarøy in Nordland). The second-largest Sámi language by speakers (~2,000) but critically endangered, with little intergenerational transmission. A standard orthography (the 'common Lule' written norm) was adopted in 1983. Like other Sámi languages, it is highly synthetic with consonant gradation, dual number, and elaborate evidential and case morphology. Recognized minority language in both Sweden and Norway.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Lule Sámi
Water
tjáhtje
/tʃaːhtje/
Fire
dålla
/tolːa/
Sun
biejvve
/pie̯jvːe/
Moon
máno
/maːno/
Mother
iedne
/iedne/
Father
áhttje
/aːhtːje/
Eat
bårråt
/porːot/
Drink
juhkat
/juhkat/
Love
ráhkesvuohta
/raːhkesvuɔhta/
Heart
vájmmo
/vajmːo/
Tree
muorra
/muɔrːa/
House
viesso
/viesːo/
Dog
bena
/pena/
Cat
kássa
/kaːsːa/
Hand
gietta
/kietːa/
Eye
tjalmme
/tʃalmːe/
Hello
buoris
/puɔris/
Thank you
gijttuo
/kijtːuɔ/
One
aktan
/aktan/
Good
buorre
/puɔrːe/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uralic (Saami) languages
| Meaning | Lule Sámi | Northern Sami | Inari Sámi | Skolt Sámi | Southern Sámi | Kildin Sámi | Livonian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ | čáhci /tʃaːhtsi/ | čääci /tʃæːtsi/ | čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ | tjaetsie /tʃaeʰtsie/ | чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ | vež /vɛʒ/ |
| Fire | dålla /tolːa/ | dolla /dolːa/ | tollâ /tolːa/ | toll /tolː/ | dolle /dolːe/ | тоалл /toallʲ/ | tūl /tuːl/ |
| Sun | biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ | beaivi /peɑjvi/ | peivi /peivi/ | peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ | biejjie /pie̯jːie/ | пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ | pǟva /pæːva/ |
| Moon | máno /maːno/ | mánnu /maːnːu/ | maanu /maːnu/ | mään /mæːn/ | aske /askə/ | ма̄нн /maːnn/ | kūʼ /kuː/ |
| Mother | iedne /iedne/ | eadni /eɑdni/ | enni /enːi/ | jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ | tjidtjie /tʃitːʃie/ | е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ | jemā /jɛmaː/ |
| Father | áhttje /aːhtːje/ | áhčči /aːhtʃːi/ | eeči /eːtʃi/ | eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ | aehtjie /aeʰtʃie/ | а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ | izā /izaː/ |
| Eat | bårråt /porːot/ | borrat /porːat/ | 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 | ráhkesvuohta /raːhkesvuɔhta/ | ráhkisvuohta /raːhkisvuɔhta/ | rähistus /ræhistus/ | rääʹǩǩesvuõtt /ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/ | gieriesvoete /ɡieriesvuəte/ | па̄ллай /paːllaj/ | ārmaztõ /aːrmastə/ |
| Heart | vájmmo /vajmːo/ | váibmu /vajpmu/ | 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 | viesso /viesːo/ | viessu /viesːu/ | stuobbâ /stuɔbːa/ | kåʹdd /kɔdʲː/ | gåetie /ɡoətie/ | пэ̄ҏҏт /peːrrt/ | kuodā /kuədaː/ |
| Dog | bena /pena/ | beana /peɑna/ | peenâg /peːnaɡ/ | piânnaj /pianːaj/ | bïenje /piːnje/ | пенне /penne/ | piņ /piɲ/ |
| Cat | kássa /kaːsːa/ | bussá /pusːa/ | kissá /kisːaː/ | kõõšš /kɵːʃː/ | gaahtoe /ɡaːhtoe/ | ке̄ршш /keːrʃː/ | kaš /kaʃ/ |
| Hand | gietta /kietːa/ | giehta /kiehta/ | kietâ /kieta/ | ǩeätt /kʲætː/ | gïete /kiːte/ | кэдт /kʲedt/ | kež /kɛʒ/ |
| Eye | tjalmme /tʃalmːe/ | čalbmi /tʃalpmi/ | čalme /tʃalme/ | čââlm /tʃæːlm/ | tjelmie /tʃelmie/ | чальм /tʃalʲm/ | sīlma /siːlma/ |
| Hello | buoris /puɔris/ | bures /pures/ | tiervâ /tierva/ | tiõrv /tiɵrv/ | buerie biejjie /puerie pie̯jːie/ | тиерв /tʲierv/ | tervīst /tɛrviːst/ |
| Thank you | gijttuo /kijtːuɔ/ | giitu /kiːtu/ | tiittu /tiːtːu/ | späʹsseb /spæsʲːeb/ | gæjhtoe /kæjhtoe/ | пасьпе /pasʲpe/ | tienū /tiɛnuː/ |
| One | aktan /aktan/ | okta /okta/ | 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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