Ume Sami
Encyclopedia
Ume Sami is a Sami language
spoken in Sweden
and Norway
. It is a dying language with only about 10 native speakers left and is spoken mainly along the Ume River
in the north of Arjeplog
and Arvidsjaur
.
, Ume Sami has consonant gradation
. However, gradation is more limited than it is in the more northern Sami languages, because it occurs only after long vowels or diphthongs. Consonants following a short vowel do not participate in gradation.
There are three grammatical numbers: singular, dual and plural.
s:
. In Ume Sami, the negative verb conjugates according to mood
(indicative and imperative), person
(1st, 2nd and 3rd) and number
(singular, dual and plural).
that do not have an official written language, although it was the first Sami language to be written extensively. The New Testament
was published in Ume Sami in 1755 and the first Bible in Sami was also published in Ume Sami, in 1811.
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...
spoken in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is a dying language with only about 10 native speakers left and is spoken mainly along the Ume River
Ume River
The Ume River is one of the main rivers in northern Sweden. It is around long, and flows in a south-eastern direction from its source, the lake Överuman by the Norwegian border within the Scandinavian mountain range. For large parts, the European route E12, also known as Blå Vägen , follows its...
in the north of Arjeplog
Arjeplog Municipality
Arjeplog Municipality is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Arjeplog....
and Arvidsjaur
Arvidsjaur
Arvidsjaur is a locality and the seat of Arvidsjaur Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 4,644 inhabitants in 2005.Arvidsjaur is a large centre for the European car industry. During the winter months major car-manufacturers perform arctic trials in the Arvidsjaur Municipality area...
.
Consonant gradation
Unlike its southern neighbor Southern SamiSouthern Sami
Southern Sami is the southwestern-most of the Sami languages. It is a seriously endangered language; the last strongholds of this language are the municipalities of Snåsa and Hattfjelldal in Norway...
, Ume Sami has consonant gradation
Consonant gradation
Consonant gradation is a type of consonant mutation, in which consonants alternate between various "grades". It is found in some Uralic languages such as Finnish, Estonian, Northern Sámi, and the Samoyed language Nganasan. In addition, it has been reconstructed for Proto-Germanic, the parent...
. However, gradation is more limited than it is in the more northern Sami languages, because it occurs only after long vowels or diphthongs. Consonants following a short vowel do not participate in gradation.
Person and grammatical number
The verbs in Ume Sami have three persons:- first person
- second person
- third person
There are three grammatical numbers: singular, dual and plural.
Mood
Ume Sami has two grammatical moodGrammatical mood
In linguistics, grammatical mood is a grammatical feature of verbs, used to signal modality. That is, it is the use of verbal inflections that allow speakers to express their attitude toward what they are saying...
s:
- indicative
- imperativeImperative moodThe imperative mood expresses commands or requests as a grammatical mood. These commands or requests urge the audience to act a certain way. It also may signal a prohibition, permission, or any other kind of exhortation.- Morphology :...
Negative verb
Ume Sami, like Finnish, the other Sámi languages and Estonian, has a negative verbNegative verb
A negative verb is a type of auxiliary that is used to form the negative of a main verb. The main verb itself has no personal endings, while the negative verb takes the inflection...
. In Ume Sami, the negative verb conjugates according to mood
Grammatical mood
In linguistics, grammatical mood is a grammatical feature of verbs, used to signal modality. That is, it is the use of verbal inflections that allow speakers to express their attitude toward what they are saying...
(indicative and imperative), person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
(1st, 2nd and 3rd) and number
Grammatical number
In linguistics, grammatical number is a grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions ....
(singular, dual and plural).
Writing system
Ume Sami is one of the four Sami languagesSami 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...
that do not have an official written language, although it was the first Sami language to be written extensively. The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
was published in Ume Sami in 1755 and the first Bible in Sami was also published in Ume Sami, in 1811.
Example
| Transcription | Swedish Translation | English Translation |
| Båtsuoj-bieŋjuv galggá báddie-gietjiesna álggiet lieratit. De tjuavrrá jiehtja viegadit ráddiesta ráddáje jah nav ájaj livva-sijiesna, guh jiehtják súhph. Die galggá daina báddie-bieŋjijne viegadit bijrra ieluon, nav júhtie biegŋja galggá vuöjdniet gúktie almatjh gelggh dahkat. Lierruo-biegŋja daggár bälij vánatallá ieluon bijrra ja ij akttak bijgŋuolissa luöjtieh. Die måddie bálliena daggár biegŋja, juhka ij leäh ållást lieratuvvama, die butsijda válldá ja dulvada. De daggár bälij tjuavrrá suv báddáje válldiet jah slåvvat. | Renhunden ska man börja lära i koppel. Då måste man själv springa från den ena kanten till den andra (av renhjorden) och så också på (renarnas) viloplats, medan de andra äter. Då ska man med den där bandhunden springa runt hjorden, så att hunden ser, hur folket gör. Lärohunden springer en sådan gång runt hjorden och låter ingen undslippa. Så finns det ofta sådana hundar, som inte har lärt sig helt, som tar någon ren och jagar iväg den. Då måste man en sådan gång sätta band på den och slå den. |
A reindeer herding dog must begin its training with a leash. Then one has to run from one side [of the herd] to the other and also on the area where they [the reindeer] rest, while others are eating. One must run around the herd with the dog [to be trained] on a leash, so that the dog sees how people do it. The trained dog then runs around the herd and does not allow any to slip away. Then there are often dogs that are not fully trained [and] who single out a reindeer and drive it away [i.e., to kill it]. Then one must put a leash on that [dog] and strike it. |
External links
- Sámi lottit Names of birds found in Sápmi in a number of languages, including Skolt Sami and English. Search function only works with Finnish input though.