Also Known As:
Sami, North Sámi (sápmi or sámegiella), Northern Saami, Norwegian Sami, pohjoissaame, Nordsamiska, Nordsamisk, северносаамский язык, Same, Saami, Lapp, Sámegiella, davvisámegiella, "Northern Lapp", "Northern Lappish", "Norwegian Lapp", Cohkkiras (Jukkasjarvi) variety
Dialects & Varieties
- Sea (Coast) in Norway
- Duortnus (Torne) in Sweden and Norway
- Finnmárku (Finnmark) in Norway and Finland
North Saami, Cohkkiras variety (Sweden, Norway) - Language Snapshot
Kejonen, Olle. 2020. North Saami, Čohkkiras variety (Sweden, Norway) – Language Snapshot. In Peter K. Austin (ed.) Language Documentation and Description 17, 178-185. London: EL Publishing. http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/194
Threatened
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
About 25,700 total: 20,000 in Norway, 4,000 in Sweden, 1,700 in Finland
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 2
A majority of community members speak the language. Speaker numbers are gradually decreasing.
2
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 4
Used mainly only in the home and/or with family, and may not be the primary language even in these domains for many community members.
4
Transmission
Transmission 1
Most adults in the community, and some children, are speakers.
1
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
100,000
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
Giron (Kiruna) and Jiellevárri/Váhčir (Gällivare) municipalities in Sweden; Romsa ja Finnmárku (Troms og Finnmark), and Nordlánda (Nordland) counties in Norway; Kola Peninsula of northwestern Russia
Location Description
No results found.
Government Support
Saami Parliaments in Norway, Sweden, Finland have limited degree of political influence in matters of Saami culture and livelihoods
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
Saamic languages are officially recognized, with legal support to use the language with authorities and in schools. Adult speakers are bi- or multilingual; lexical borrowings and code-switching are common. North Saami are minorities in their communities, but their attitude toward the language is overwhelmingly positive and several revitalizations are ongoing. Resources include radio & TV broadcasts, literature, and two Bible translations.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Meankieli, Kven,
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
North Saami (1979) based in Finnmárku dialects but using the Latin script with additional characters
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
The Nordic resource center Sámi Giellagáldu is responsible for language planning. Literacy in North Saami is rare, and speaker attitudes toward the standard orthography is often negative.
Recent Resources
The collection of links containing texts written in Northern Sami.
Mii leat sámit.
We are the Sámi.