sääʹmǩiõll
Skolt Sámi
Uralic (Saami, Eastern)
Skolt Sámi (sääʹmǩiõll) is an Eastern Sámi language traditionally spoken across the Kola Peninsula and adjacent borderlands of Finland, Norway and Russia. After WWII most speakers were displaced from Petsamo (lost to USSR) to Sevettijärvi in Finnish Lapland; today only ~300 fluent L1 speakers remain. Critically endangered but with active revitalization through Saaʹmi Nueʹtt school, the Sevettijärvi-Näätämö nests and the SAAMINUETT app. Distinguishing features include consonant gradation, palatalization marked by ʹ, and the Skolt-specific letters Ǩ Ǥ Ǯ.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Skolt Sámi
Water
čääʹcc
/tʃæːtsʲː/
Fire
toll
/tolː/
Sun
peeiʹvv
/peːjvʲː/
Moon
mään
/mæːn/
Mother
jeäʹnn
/jæːnʲː/
Father
eeʹǩǩ
/eːkʲː/
Eat
poorrâd
/porːad/
Drink
juukkâd
/juːkːad/
Love
rääʹǩǩesvuõtt
/ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/
Heart
vueʹmm
/vuemʲː/
Tree
muõrr
/muɔrː/
House
kåʹdd
/kɔdʲː/
Dog
piânnaj
/pianːaj/
Cat
kõõšš
/kɵːʃː/
Hand
ǩeätt
/kʲætː/
Eye
čââlm
/tʃæːlm/
Hello
tiõrv
/tiɵrv/
Thank you
späʹsseb
/spæsʲːeb/
One
õhtt
/ɵhtː/
Good
šiõǥǥ
/ʃiɵɣː/
Sources
- Ethnologue 27: Skolt Sami
- Feist (2010) A Grammar of Skolt Saami
- UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Words compared
Compared with related Uralic (Saami, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Skolt Sámi | Inari Sámi | Lule Sámi | Kildin Sámi | Northern Sami | Livonian | Norwegian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ | čääci /tʃæːtsi/ | tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ | чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ | čáhci /tʃaːhtsi/ | vež /vɛʒ/ | vann /vɑnː/ |
| Fire | toll /tolː/ | tollâ /tolːa/ | dålla /tolːa/ | тоалл /toallʲ/ | dolla /dolːa/ | tūl /tuːl/ | ild /ilː/ |
| Sun | peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ | peivi /peivi/ | biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ | пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ | beaivi /peɑjvi/ | pǟva /pæːva/ | sol /suːl/ |
| Moon | mään /mæːn/ | maanu /maːnu/ | máno /maːno/ | ма̄нн /maːnn/ | mánnu /maːnːu/ | kūʼ /kuː/ | måne /moːnə/ |
| Mother | jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ | enni /enːi/ | iedne /iedne/ | е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ | eadni /eɑdni/ | jemā /jɛmaː/ | mor /muːr/ |
| Father | eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ | eeči /eːtʃi/ | áhttje /aːhtːje/ | а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ | áhčči /aːhtʃːi/ | izā /izaː/ | far /fɑːr/ |
| Eat | poorrâd /porːad/ | porrâđ /porːað/ | bårråt /porːot/ | пӯрраҥе /puːrraŋe/ | borrat /porːat/ | sīedõ /siːədə/ | spise /spiːsə/ |
| Drink | juukkâd /juːkːad/ | jukkâđ /jukːað/ | juhkat /juhkat/ | югкаҥе /jukkaŋe/ | juhkat /juhkat/ | jūodõ /juːədə/ | drikke /drɪkːə/ |
| Love | rääʹǩǩesvuõtt /ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/ | rähistus /ræhistus/ | ráhkesvuohta /raːhkesvuɔhta/ | па̄ллай /paːllaj/ | ráhkisvuohta /raːhkisvuɔhta/ | ārmaztõ /aːrmastə/ | kjærlighet /çæːɾliheːt/ |
| Heart | vueʹmm /vuemʲː/ | vájmu /vaːjmu/ | vájmmo /vajmːo/ | чӯлм /tʃuːlm/ | váibmu /vajpmu/ | sidām /sidaːm/ | hjerte /jæɾtə/ |
| Tree | muõrr /muɔrː/ | muorâ /muɔra/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ | муэрр /muerr/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ | pū /puː/ | tre /treː/ |
| House | kåʹdd /kɔdʲː/ | stuobbâ /stuɔbːa/ | viesso /viesːo/ | пэ̄ҏҏт /peːrrt/ | viessu /viesːu/ | kuodā /kuədaː/ | hus /hʉːs/ |
| Dog | piânnaj /pianːaj/ | peenâg /peːnaɡ/ | bena /pena/ | пенне /penne/ | beana /peɑna/ | piņ /piɲ/ | hund /hʉnː/ |
| Cat | kõõšš /kɵːʃː/ | kissá /kisːaː/ | kássa /kaːsːa/ | ке̄ршш /keːrʃː/ | bussá /pusːa/ | kaš /kaʃ/ | katt /kɑtː/ |
| Hand | ǩeätt /kʲætː/ | kietâ /kieta/ | gietta /kietːa/ | кэдт /kʲedt/ | giehta /kiehta/ | kež /kɛʒ/ | hånd /hɔnː/ |
| Eye | čââlm /tʃæːlm/ | čalme /tʃalme/ | tjalmme /tʃalmːe/ | чальм /tʃalʲm/ | čalbmi /tʃalpmi/ | sīlma /siːlma/ | øye /øjə/ |
| Hello | tiõrv /tiɵrv/ | tiervâ /tierva/ | buoris /puɔris/ | тиерв /tʲierv/ | bures /pures/ | tervīst /tɛrviːst/ | hei /hɛɪ/ |
| Thank you | späʹsseb /spæsʲːeb/ | tiittu /tiːtːu/ | gijttuo /kijtːuɔ/ | пасьпе /pasʲpe/ | giitu /kiːtu/ | tienū /tiɛnuː/ | takk /tɑkː/ |
| One | õhtt /ɵhtː/ | ohtâ /ohta/ | aktan /aktan/ | ыкт /ɨkt/ | okta /okta/ | ikš /ikʃ/ | en /eːn/ |
| Good | šiõǥǥ /ʃiɵɣː/ | pyere /pyere/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ | шӣгг /ʃiːɡː/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ | jõvā /jəvaː/ | bra /brɑː/ |
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