anarâškielâ
Inari Sámi
Uralic (Saami, Eastern)
Inari Sámi (anarâškielâ) is spoken only around Lake Inari in northernmost Finland, by ~400 speakers. Part of the Eastern Sámi branch of Uralic. Critically endangered but undergoing notable language-revitalization efforts including Inari Sámi-medium immersion preschools (Anarâškielâ kielâpiervâl, since 1997), where children with non-Sámi-speaking parents acquire Inari Sámi. Recognized as a regional minority language of Finland with rights in education, court proceedings, and government services. Distinctive 8-vowel system; uses Latin script with the unique letter Â/â for /ɑ/.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Inari Sámi
Water
čääci
/tʃæːtsi/
Fire
tollâ
/tolːa/
Sun
peivi
/peivi/
Moon
maanu
/maːnu/
Mother
enni
/enːi/
Father
eeči
/eːtʃi/
Eat
porrâđ
/porːað/
Drink
jukkâđ
/jukːað/
Love
rähistus
/ræhistus/
Heart
vájmu
/vaːjmu/
Tree
muorâ
/muɔra/
House
stuobbâ
/stuɔbːa/
Dog
peenâg
/peːnaɡ/
Cat
kissá
/kisːaː/
Hand
kietâ
/kieta/
Eye
čalme
/tʃalme/
Hello
tiervâ
/tierva/
Thank you
tiittu
/tiːtːu/
One
ohtâ
/ohta/
Good
pyere
/pyere/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uralic (Saami, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Inari Sámi | Northern Sami | Lule Sámi | Skolt Sámi | Southern Sámi | Kildin Sámi | Võro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | čääci /tʃæːtsi/ | čáhci /tʃaːhtsi/ | tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ | čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ | tjaetsie /tʃaeʰtsie/ | чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ | vesi /vesi/ |
| Fire | tollâ /tolːa/ | dolla /dolːa/ | dålla /tolːa/ | toll /tolː/ | dolle /dolːe/ | тоалл /toallʲ/ | tuli /tuli/ |
| Sun | peivi /peivi/ | beaivi /peɑjvi/ | biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ | peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ | biejjie /pie̯jːie/ | пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ | päiv /pæiv/ |
| Moon | maanu /maːnu/ | mánnu /maːnːu/ | máno /maːno/ | mään /mæːn/ | aske /askə/ | ма̄нн /maːnn/ | kuu /kuː/ |
| Mother | enni /enːi/ | eadni /eɑdni/ | iedne /iedne/ | jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ | tjidtjie /tʃitːʃie/ | е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ | imä /imæ/ |
| Father | eeči /eːtʃi/ | áhčči /aːhtʃːi/ | áhttje /aːhtːje/ | eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ | aehtjie /aeʰtʃie/ | а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ | esä /esæ/ |
| Eat | porrâđ /porːað/ | borrat /porːat/ | bårråt /porːot/ | poorrâd /porːad/ | byöpmedidh /pyœpmedih/ | пӯрраҥе /puːrraŋe/ | süümä /syːmæ/ |
| Drink | jukkâđ /jukːað/ | juhkat /juhkat/ | juhkat /juhkat/ | juukkâd /juːkːad/ | jovkedh /jovkəh/ | югкаҥе /jukkaŋe/ | juuma /juːma/ |
| Love | rähistus /ræhistus/ | ráhkisvuohta /raːhkisvuɔhta/ | ráhkesvuohta /raːhkesvuɔhta/ | rääʹǩǩesvuõtt /ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/ | gieriesvoete /ɡieriesvuəte/ | па̄ллай /paːllaj/ | armastus /ɑrmɑstus/ |
| Heart | vájmu /vaːjmu/ | váibmu /vajpmu/ | vájmmo /vajmːo/ | vueʹmm /vuemʲː/ | vaajmoe /vaːjmoe/ | чӯлм /tʃuːlm/ | süä /syæ/ |
| Tree | muorâ /muɔra/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ | muõrr /muɔrː/ | moere /moːrə/ | муэрр /muerr/ | puu /puː/ |
| House | stuobbâ /stuɔbːa/ | viessu /viesːu/ | viesso /viesːo/ | kåʹdd /kɔdʲː/ | gåetie /ɡoətie/ | пэ̄ҏҏт /peːrrt/ | kotus /kotus/ |
| Dog | peenâg /peːnaɡ/ | beana /peɑna/ | bena /pena/ | piânnaj /pianːaj/ | bïenje /piːnje/ | пенне /penne/ | pini /pini/ |
| Cat | kissá /kisːaː/ | bussá /pusːa/ | kássa /kaːsːa/ | kõõšš /kɵːʃː/ | gaahtoe /ɡaːhtoe/ | ке̄ршш /keːrʃː/ | kass /kɑsː/ |
| Hand | kietâ /kieta/ | giehta /kiehta/ | gietta /kietːa/ | ǩeätt /kʲætː/ | gïete /kiːte/ | кэдт /kʲedt/ | käsi /kæsi/ |
| Eye | čalme /tʃalme/ | čalbmi /tʃalpmi/ | tjalmme /tʃalmːe/ | čââlm /tʃæːlm/ | tjelmie /tʃelmie/ | чальм /tʃalʲm/ | silm /silm/ |
| Hello | tiervâ /tierva/ | bures /pures/ | buoris /puɔris/ | tiõrv /tiɵrv/ | buerie biejjie /puerie pie̯jːie/ | тиерв /tʲierv/ | tere /tere/ |
| Thank you | tiittu /tiːtːu/ | giitu /kiːtu/ | gijttuo /kijtːuɔ/ | späʹsseb /spæsʲːeb/ | gæjhtoe /kæjhtoe/ | пасьпе /pasʲpe/ | aitäh /ɑitæh/ |
| One | ohtâ /ohta/ | okta /okta/ | aktan /aktan/ | õhtt /ɵhtː/ | akte /aktə/ | ыкт /ɨkt/ | üts /yts/ |
| Good | pyere /pyere/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ | šiõǥǥ /ʃiɵɣː/ | hijven /hijven/ | шӣгг /ʃiːɡː/ | hää /hæː/ |
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