Julevsámegiella

Lule Sámi

Uralic (Saami)

FamilyUralic (Saami) Speakers~2K ScriptLatin (with Á Ŋ Ŧ Đ) CountriesSweden (Norrbotten), Norway (Nordland) Official inSweden (national minority), Norway (regional) Vitalitydefinitely endangered ISO 639-3smj

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

31 core words in Lule Sámi

Water

tjáhtje

/tʃaːhtje/

Fire

dålla

/tolːa/

Sun

biejvve

/pie̯jvːe/

Moon

mánno

/maːnːo/

Star

náste

/ˈnaːste/

Mother

iedne

/iedne/

Father

áhttje

/aːhtːje/

I

mån

/mɔn/

You

dån

/tɔn/

Name

namma

/ˈnamːa/

Eye

tjalmme

/tʃalmːe/

Hand

gietta

/kietːa/

Heart

vájmmo

/vajmːo/

Love

ráhkesvuohta

/raːhkesvuɔhta/

Tree

muorra

/muɔrːa/

House

viesso

/viesːo/

Dog

bena

/pena/

Cat

kássa

/kaːsːa/

Eat

bårråt

/porːot/

Drink

juhkat

/juhkat/

One

aktan

/aktan/

Two

guokta

/ˈkuoktɑ/

Hello

buoris

/puɔris/

Thank you

gijttuo

/kijtːuɔ/

Good

buorre

/puɔrːe/

Cuckoo

giehka

/ˈkie̯hka/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Uralic (Saami) languages

Meaning Lule SámiNorthern SamiInari SámiSkolt SámiSouthern SámiKildin SámiKurukh
Water tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ čáhci /tʃaːhtsi/ čääci /tʃæːtsi/ čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ tjaetsie /tʃaeʰtsie/ чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ अम्म /amm/
Fire dålla /tolːa/ dolla /dolːa/ tollâ /tolːa/ toll /tolː/ dolle /dolːe/ тоалл /toallʲ/ चिच /tʃitʃ/
Sun biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ beaivi /peɑjvi/ peivi /peivi/ peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ biejjie /pie̯jːie/ пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ बेरी /beɾiː/
Moon mánno /maːnːo/ mánnu /maːnːu/ máánu /maːnu/ mään /mæːn/ aske /askə/ ма̄нн /maːnn/ चांदो /tʃaːndoː/
Star náste /ˈnaːste/ násti /ˈnaːsti/ násti /ˈnaːsti/ nâ´stt /naːstː/ naaste /ˈnaːste/ нӣзесь /nʲiːzesʲ/ बिनको /binkoː/
Mother iedne /iedne/ eadni /eɑdni/ enni /enːi/ jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ tjidtjie /tʃitːʃie/ е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ अयो /ajoː/
Father áhttje /aːhtːje/ áhčči /aːhtʃːi/ eeči /eːtʃi/ eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ aehtjie /aeʰtʃie/ а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ बाबा /baːbaː/
I mån /mɔn/ mun /mun/ mun /mun/ mon /mon/ manne /ˈmanːe/ мунн /munː/ एन /eːn/
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