Ten essential Sámi words that you might not have heard before
There are about ten Sámi languages alive today, spoken across the northern parts of Scandinavia and eastern Russia. But they are among the many Indigenous languages around the world that are at risk of disappearing.
You might have heard that there are over 200 words for snow in Sámi languages, which is unsurprising, given the climate of the Sámi homeland in Northern Europe. But there’s a lot more to the languages than snow.
The Swedish Sámi parliament website says that “language is the bearer of cultural heritage and reflects our people's common view of life and values. Language transfers knowledge about nature and the world.”
But Sámi language fluency has been declining rapidly for decades. Pite Sámi is critically endangered, with fewer than 50 living speakers, all in Sweden. Today, Northern Sámi is the most widely spoken.
Due to assimilation policies in all the countries the Sámi found themselves in, older generations of Sámi people were not allowed to speak their own language in school, meaning some languages have already been lost.
The Local spoke to speakers and researchers of the languages to find out some of the most unique and beautiful words still in use.
1. Sápmi
Sápmi is the Northern Sámi word for the traditional dwelling place of the Sámi people, which encompasses the northern parts of Scandinavia and the Kola peninsula of Russia. Since the 20th century, national borders and state policies have divided Sápmi and the people who call it home.
A map of where Sápmi in northern Europe. Map: Wikipedia
Elle Rávdná Näkkäläjärvi is part of the Sámiskeveivisere, Sámi Pathfinders, a group of young Sámi people who visit high schools and teach students about Sámi culture. She says Sápmi itself is one of her favourite words.
“The word means a Sápmi without borders, it means relatives, sisters and brothers, and community,” she says.
2. Eadni
Eadni means ‘mother’ in Northern Sámi.
“It’s one of the first words that children learn,” says Berit Anne Bals Baal, a lecturer of linguistics at the National Centre for Sámi Language in Education at the Sámi University College, who chose it as her favourite word.
It has a complex phonology (sound system), and is similar to the Northern Sámi word for Earth, which is eanan.
3. Guohtun
Guohtun is a Northern Sámi word that describes the ideal conditions for reindeer to find lichen to graze under a covering of snow. But it’s more complicated than that. It's one of those words that resists simple translation.
Lars Miguel Utsi, the Vice President of the Sámi parliament of Sweden, says, “Guohtun is a very complex word. It encompasses geography, plants, lichens, snow, and reindeer. It exemplifies the language and its connection to land and water.”
“It’s a very soothing word because it means that there is food and the reindeer can reach it,” he said.
4. Giitu
Giitu means ‘thank you’ in Northern Sámi.
Anyone who knows some Finnish might notice that it sounds quite similar to the Finnish word for 'thank you', kiitos. That's because Sámi languages have more in common with Finnish than with Swedish, Danish or Norwegian, coming from the same language family: Finno-Uralic.
You can respond to giitu with leage buorre which means 'you're welcome.'
5. Čáiddas
This means snowball. We couldn’t have a list of Sámi words without having something specific to snow, could we?
6. Vuovdi
This means forest in Northern Sámi. Vast swathes of Sápmi is covered in forest. Sámi reindeer herders rely on old-growth forests to let their reindeer graze; they eat the kind of lichen that only grows in older forests.
7. Boazu
Reindeer husbandry is a vital part of Sámi life. Photo: Image Bank Sweden
In all Sámi languages, there are two different words for reindeer. In Northern Sámi there is goddi and boazu.
Boazu means a reindeer who has been tamed and can be milked. Goddi is the word for wilder reindeer.
Reindeer herding is an important aspect of Sámi culture and a vital source of income for many Sámi people. The Sámi parliament estimates that about 2,500 people are dependent on income from reindeer husbandry.
8. Bures
An easy one! This is how you say “hello” to another person in Northern Sámi.
9. Goahte
Goahte is a type of hut in Lule Sámi. It’s a traditional Sámi home that can be built in several different ways, depending on what material is available, like with wooden panels or a construction of wooden poles covered with peat or cloth.
10. Sámediggi
This is the Northern Sámi word for the Sámi Parliament. There’s a Sámi parliament in each country that divides Sápmi.
In the Scandinavian countries, it's essentially a government agency with the aim of representing the Sámi people and increasing opportunities to participate in public debate.
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You might have heard that there are over 200 words for snow in Sámi languages, which is unsurprising, given the climate of the Sámi homeland in Northern Europe. But there’s a lot more to the languages than snow.
The Swedish Sámi parliament website says that “language is the bearer of cultural heritage and reflects our people's common view of life and values. Language transfers knowledge about nature and the world.”
But Sámi language fluency has been declining rapidly for decades. Pite Sámi is critically endangered, with fewer than 50 living speakers, all in Sweden. Today, Northern Sámi is the most widely spoken.
Due to assimilation policies in all the countries the Sámi found themselves in, older generations of Sámi people were not allowed to speak their own language in school, meaning some languages have already been lost.
The Local spoke to speakers and researchers of the languages to find out some of the most unique and beautiful words still in use.
1. Sápmi
Sápmi is the Northern Sámi word for the traditional dwelling place of the Sámi people, which encompasses the northern parts of Scandinavia and the Kola peninsula of Russia. Since the 20th century, national borders and state policies have divided Sápmi and the people who call it home.
A map of where Sápmi in northern Europe. Map: Wikipedia
Elle Rávdná Näkkäläjärvi is part of the Sámiskeveivisere, Sámi Pathfinders, a group of young Sámi people who visit high schools and teach students about Sámi culture. She says Sápmi itself is one of her favourite words.
“The word means a Sápmi without borders, it means relatives, sisters and brothers, and community,” she says.
2. Eadni
Eadni means ‘mother’ in Northern Sámi.
“It’s one of the first words that children learn,” says Berit Anne Bals Baal, a lecturer of linguistics at the National Centre for Sámi Language in Education at the Sámi University College, who chose it as her favourite word.
It has a complex phonology (sound system), and is similar to the Northern Sámi word for Earth, which is eanan.
3. Guohtun
Guohtun is a Northern Sámi word that describes the ideal conditions for reindeer to find lichen to graze under a covering of snow. But it’s more complicated than that. It's one of those words that resists simple translation.
Lars Miguel Utsi, the Vice President of the Sámi parliament of Sweden, says, “Guohtun is a very complex word. It encompasses geography, plants, lichens, snow, and reindeer. It exemplifies the language and its connection to land and water.”
“It’s a very soothing word because it means that there is food and the reindeer can reach it,” he said.
4. Giitu
Giitu means ‘thank you’ in Northern Sámi.
Anyone who knows some Finnish might notice that it sounds quite similar to the Finnish word for 'thank you', kiitos. That's because Sámi languages have more in common with Finnish than with Swedish, Danish or Norwegian, coming from the same language family: Finno-Uralic.
You can respond to giitu with leage buorre which means 'you're welcome.'
5. Čáiddas
This means snowball. We couldn’t have a list of Sámi words without having something specific to snow, could we?
6. Vuovdi
This means forest in Northern Sámi. Vast swathes of Sápmi is covered in forest. Sámi reindeer herders rely on old-growth forests to let their reindeer graze; they eat the kind of lichen that only grows in older forests.
7. Boazu
In all Sámi languages, there are two different words for reindeer. In Northern Sámi there is goddi and boazu.
Boazu means a reindeer who has been tamed and can be milked. Goddi is the word for wilder reindeer.
Reindeer herding is an important aspect of Sámi culture and a vital source of income for many Sámi people. The Sámi parliament estimates that about 2,500 people are dependent on income from reindeer husbandry.
8. Bures
An easy one! This is how you say “hello” to another person in Northern Sámi.
9. Goahte
Goahte is a type of hut in Lule Sámi. It’s a traditional Sámi home that can be built in several different ways, depending on what material is available, like with wooden panels or a construction of wooden poles covered with peat or cloth.
10. Sámediggi
This is the Northern Sámi word for the Sámi Parliament. There’s a Sámi parliament in each country that divides Sápmi.
In the Scandinavian countries, it's essentially a government agency with the aim of representing the Sámi people and increasing opportunities to participate in public debate.
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