Jens Andreas Friis
Encyclopedia
Jens Andreas Friis was a Norwegian linguist and author. He is widely recognized as the founder of the Sami language
studies.
in 1840 and earned his cand.theol.
in 1844. From 1847-49, he was a research fellow in Sami
and Finnish. By the autumn of 1849, he went on a grant to Kajaani
, Finland
to continue his studies under Lönnrot Elias, the founder of Finnish folklore studies. Friis stayed for a time in Finnmark
and in return he assumed teaching ministry for priests.
Friis was appointed reader in Sami languages at the University of Kristiania
(now Oslo) in 1863. Three years later he was awarded a chair in the Lapp
and Kven language
s, with a special duty in translation. He published on the Sami language and mythology as well as travel literature about Northern Norway. His novel Lajla from 1881 was later adapted in three movies.
Friis established the northern Sami orthography, which although modified through three spelling reforms is in common usage. Until the Konrad Nielsen
's dictionary Lappisk ordbok was published in three volumes between 1932 to 1938, Friis' Sami dictionary was the most important of its kind. Friis also translated With Nansen over Greenland in 1888: My journey from Lapland to Greenland by Samuel Balto
from the original Sami into the Norwegian language
.
s covering Norway north of the Ofotfjord
. First edition in 1861, second in 1888/1890. Each household was coded by a trivariate symbology denoting (1) ethnic group (2) household member's fluency in the Norwegian, Sami and Kven language and (3) whether the family lived in a goahti
. These maps, in addition to the census
es of 1865, 1875, 1891 and 1900 provide a valuable resource of knowledge of the ethnicity and language in the circumpolar
region decades before the enforcement of Norwegian as the single official language in schools.
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
studies.
Biography
Friis completed his final exams from Møllers Institute in ChristianiaOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in 1840 and earned his cand.theol.
Cand.theol.
Candidatus theologiæ , Candidata theologiæ , abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six year higher education in theology in Denmark and Norway. In Norway, the title has remained after the "Quality Reform", though it is equivalent to a Master of...
in 1844. From 1847-49, he was a research fellow in Sami
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
and Finnish. By the autumn of 1849, he went on a grant to Kajaani
Kajaani
Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
to continue his studies under Lönnrot Elias, the founder of Finnish folklore studies. Friis stayed for a time in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
and in return he assumed teaching ministry for priests.
Friis was appointed reader in Sami languages at the University of Kristiania
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
(now Oslo) in 1863. Three years later he was awarded a chair in the Lapp
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
and Kven language
Kven language
The Kven language is a Finnic language spoken in Northern Norway by the Kven people. For political and historical reasons it received the status of a minority language in 2005 within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
s, with a special duty in translation. He published on the Sami language and mythology as well as travel literature about Northern Norway. His novel Lajla from 1881 was later adapted in three movies.
Friis established the northern Sami orthography, which although modified through three spelling reforms is in common usage. Until the Konrad Nielsen
Konrad Nielsen
Konrad Hartvig Isak Rosenvinge Nielsen was a Norwegian philologist. He spent most of his career as a professor at the Royal Frederick University , as a lecturer, textbook writer, lexicographer and translator...
's dictionary Lappisk ordbok was published in three volumes between 1932 to 1938, Friis' Sami dictionary was the most important of its kind. Friis also translated With Nansen over Greenland in 1888: My journey from Lapland to Greenland by Samuel Balto
Samuel Balto
Samuel Johannesen Balto was a Norwegian - Sami explorer and adventurer. The legendary sled dog Balto was named after Samuel Balto.-Biography:...
from the original Sami into the Norwegian language
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
.
Friis' ethographical maps
Friis published three series of thematic mapThematic map
A thematic map is a type of map or chart especially designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area. These maps "can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region,nation , or...
s covering Norway north of the Ofotfjord
Ofotfjord
Ofotfjord or Narvik Fjord, an inlet of the Norwegian sea north of the Arctic circle, is Norway's 12th longest fjord, long, and the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of . Along the shores of this fjord is the major town of Narvik...
. First edition in 1861, second in 1888/1890. Each household was coded by a trivariate symbology denoting (1) ethnic group (2) household member's fluency in the Norwegian, Sami and Kven language and (3) whether the family lived in a goahti
Goahti
A goahti is a Sami construction that can be similar to a Sami lavvu or a peat covered version using the same base structure. It is often constructed slightly larger than a lavvu...
. These maps, in addition to the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
es of 1865, 1875, 1891 and 1900 provide a valuable resource of knowledge of the ethnicity and language in the circumpolar
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
region decades before the enforcement of Norwegian as the single official language in schools.
Selected works
- Lappisk Grammatik, 1856
- Lappiske Sprogprøver. En Samling af Lappiske Eventyr, Ordsprog og Gaader med Ordbog, 1856
- Lappisk Mythologi, Eventyr og Folkesagn, 1871
- En Sommer i Finmarken, Russisk Lapland og Nordkarelen. Skildringer af Land og Folk, 1871
- Hans Majestæt Kong Oscar II's Reise i Nordland og Finmarken Aar 1873, 1874
- Tilfjelds i Ferierne eller Jæger- og Fiskerliv i Høifjeldene, 1876
- Fra Finmarken. Skildringer, 1881
- Klosteret i Petschenga. Skildringer fra Russisk Lapland, 1884
- Ordbog over det Lappiske Sprog, 1887
- Skildringer fra Finmarken, 1891
Other sources
- Lindkjølen, Hans J. A. Friis og samene (Hønefoss: Tyri forlag, 1983) ISBN 82-7122-000-4
- Hansen, Lars Ivar Friis' etnografiske kart i Ottar Tidsskrift fra (Tromsø Museum. 1998)