Endangered Languages Project

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
CLASSIFICATION		Uralic, Saami
ORTHOGRAPHY		North Saami (1979) based in Finnmárku dialects but using the Latin script with additional characters
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		sme; nort2671
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Sea (Coast) in Norway Duortnus (Torne) in Sweden and Norway Finnmárku (Finnmark) in Norway and Finland
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (8)

Information from: “North Saami, Cohkkiras variety (Sweden, Norway) - Language Snapshot” . Olle Kejonen (2020) , Peter K. Austin · ELPublishing

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
Ethnic population
100,000

DATE OF INFO: 2019

DOMAINS OF USE
SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
SPEAKER 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.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: Saami Parliaments in Norway, Sweden, Finland have limited degree of political influence in matters of Saami culture and livelihoods
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
Scripts (Writing system): North Saami (1979) based in Finnmárku dialects but using the Latin script with additional characters
More on Orthography: 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.

PLACES: 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

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

DOMAINS OF USE

MORE ON VITALITY

"North Sámi is used in a wide range of domains. It is used in the media, in administration, in churches, in schools and in everyday life. However, the speakers of North Sámi do not have the same opportunities to use North Sámi both inside the Administration Area for Sámi language, and outside the area. In many domains, for example, with authorities, the use of North Sámi is only possible inside the administration area."

1500-2000 in Finland, 5-7000 in Sweden, 20-23000 in Norway
Native speakers worldwide

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"A new education act was approved by the Norwegian parliament making education in Sámi an individual right for all Sámi children in the whole country . . . Both [Sweden and Finland] have Sámi language acts which give speakers of Sámi the right to use Sámi in contact with the authorities in the Sámi administrative areas. Sámi varieties are used as languages of instruction in some special Sámi schools in Sweden (grades one to six) and in Finland in public schools in the Sámi home area (grades one to nine)." However, Rasmussen & Nolan note that even when Sámi pupils have the right to Sámi-medium education, there may not be any offered by schools and parents may be unaware of their legal right to request education in Sámi.

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~ 17,000 - 32,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"There is no register of ethnic affiliation in Norway, neither is there an official register of speakers of different Sámi languages. Therefore, the estimations on the total number of North Sámi speakers in Norway varies from 10,000 (Sammallahti 1998: 1) to 25,000 (Sametinget 2005). The number of North Sámi speakers in Sweden is estimated to be about 5000, and in Finland from about 2000 (Sammallahti 1998:1)."

DATE OF INFO: 1998, 2005

SPEAKER ATTITUDE: "The negative attitudes towards the Sámi languages, which arose in the era of Norwegianisation and were also transmitted among the Sámi themselves, partly still exist. Gradually however, the attitudes among the Sámi people have changed to a more positive direction and in some regions linguistic revitalisation has taken place, and the prestige and social status of the Sámi language has grown."
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: Sámi Parliament in Norway
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: "In 1988 the Norwegian Parliament, adopted an amendment, Section 110 A, to the Norwegian constitution. This amendment states that the Norwegian state has the duty and responsibility to provide and ensure the conditions for the Sámi people to preserve and develop their culture, language and way of life. According to the Sámi Act the Norwegian and Sámi language have equal status, which in practice means the area of, Sámegiela hálddášanguovlu ‘the Administration Area for Sámi language’.

PLACES: Norway; Sweden; Finland; Russia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "The North Sámi are in the majority in the following municipalities in Norway: Guovdageaidnu (in Norwegian Kautokeino), Kárášjohka (Karasjok), Deatnu (Tana) and Unjárga (Nesseby). The municipalities of Porsáŋgu (Porsang) and Gáivuotna (Kåfjord) also have a noticeable concentration of North Sámi people. In addition North Sámi speakers live outside the central North Sámi speaking area, especially in the cities."

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
21,000
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
16,500
Native speakers worldwide

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

In the core area in central Finnmark Province, where North Saami has an official status, many children learn the language and are likely to continue to use the language in adulthood, and in the adjacent parts of Sweden and Finland, there are also child speakers.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

official status in Finnmark Province

PLACES: Northern Europe: Lapland

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken in most parts of Finnmark and
Troms provinces and in the northernmost corner of Nordland Province in Norway, in Kiruna and Pajala counties and parts of Ga¨llivare and other adjacent counties in Norrbotten Province (Torne Lappmark) as well as, because of resettlements in the twentieth century, also in more southerly regions in Sweden, and in Utsjoki and Enontekio counties, western parts of Inari County, and Vuotso region of Sodankyla County in Lapland Province in Finland. Formerly extended to Petsamo region in Murmansk Province in the Russian Federation.

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
25,700
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
30,000-40,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"20,000 in Norway (Laakso 2013). Population total all countries: 25,700. Ethnic population: 30,000 (1995 M. Krauss). 30,000–40,000."

DATE OF INFO: 2013

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"All ages."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Statutory provincial language in Sami Administrative District (1987, Sami Act, No. 12, Article 3)

Scripts (Writing system)

Cyrillic, Latin

PLACES: Norway

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Finnmark, Troms counties; Nordland county: Ofoten."

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
30,000
Native speakers worldwide

					2007	Europe and North Asia	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	211-282	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge						Tapani Salminen	Salminen, Tapani. 2007. "Europe and North Asia." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 211-282. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD		16,500		10000-99999				official status in Finnmark Province			Vulnerable (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	In the core area in central Finnmark Province, where North Saami has an official status, many children learn the language and are likely to continue to use the language in adulthood, and in the adjacent parts of Sweden and Finland, there are also child speakers.	11	11	Northern Europe: Lapland	Spoken in most parts of Finnmark and Troms provinces and in the northernmost corner of Nordland Province in Norway, in Kiruna and Pajala counties and parts of Ga¨llivare and other adjacent counties in Norrbotten Province (Torne Lappmark) as well as, because of resettlements in the twentieth century, also in more southerly regions in Sweden, and in Utsjoki and Enontekio counties, western parts of Inari County, and Vuotso region of Sodankyla County in Lapland Province in Finland. Formerly extended to Petsamo region in Murmansk Province in the Russian Federation.
0199255911					2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press			New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.												Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		"North Sámi is used in a wide range of domains. It is used in the media, in administration, in churches, in schools and in everyday life. However, the speakers of North Sámi do not have the same opportunities to use North Sámi both inside the Administration Area for Sámi language, and outside the area. In many domains, for example, with authorities, the use of North Sámi is only possible inside the administration area."	11				69.0,24.0
					2020	Reclaiming Sámi languages: indigenous language emancipation from East to West				De Gruyter Mouton	Linguistic Minorities in Europe Online				https://www.degruyter.com/database/LME/entry/lme.12421415/html	Rasmussen, Torkel and Shaun Nolan, John	Rasmussen, Torkel and Shaun Nolan, John. "Reclaiming Sámi languages: indigenous language emancipation from East to West". Linguistic Minorities in Europe Online. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, 2020. https://www.degruyter.com/database/LME/entry/lme.12421415/html. Accessed 2021-11-02.			1500-2000 in Finland, 5-7000 in Sweden, 20-23000 in Norway								"A new education act was approved by the Norwegian parliament making education in Sámi an individual right for all Sámi children in the whole country . . . Both [Sweden and Finland] have Sámi language acts which give speakers of Sámi the right to use Sámi in contact with the authorities in the Sámi administrative areas. Sámi varieties are used as languages of instruction in some special Sámi schools in Sweden (grades one to six) and in Finland in public schools in the Sámi home area (grades one to nine)." However, Rasmussen & Nolan note that even when Sámi pupils have the right to Sámi-medium education, there may not be any offered by schools and parents may be unaware of their legal right to request education in Sámi.
			3rd		2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing			Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		30,000		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							68.9099,22.9394
ISSN: 1740-6234	Language Snapshots	July			2020	North Saami, Cohkkiras variety (Sweden, Norway) - Language Snapshot			Peter K. Austin	ELPublishing	Language Documentation and Description	17			http://www.elpublishing.org/docs/1/17/ldd17_16.pdf	Olle Kejonen	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		100,000	About 25,700 total: 20,000 in Norway, 4,000 in Sweden, 1,700 in Finland	2019	10000-99999			Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Meankieli, Kven,	Saami Parliaments in Norway, Sweden, Finland have limited degree of political influence in matters of Saami culture and livelihoods	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.		Threatened (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11		14	12	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		67.5113,20.1523; 69.5213,23.40.37; 67.1805,37.3256
						World Oral Literature Project									http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			21,000		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	Working Papers in European Language Diversity			17	2012	North Sámi in Norway: An Overview of a Language in Context			Laakso, Johanna	Research consortium ELDIA			Mainz	ELDIA		Marjomaa, Marko				~ 17,000 - 32,000	1998, 2005	10000-99999	"There is no register of ethnic affiliation in Norway, neither is there an official register of speakers of different Sámi languages. Therefore, the estimations on the total number of North Sámi speakers in Norway varies from 10,000 (Sammallahti 1998: 1) to 25,000 (Sametinget 2005). The number of North Sámi speakers in Sweden is estimated to be about 5000, and in Finland from about 2000 (Sammallahti 1998:1)."		Kven, Finnish, Swedish	Sámi Parliament in Norway	"The negative attitudes towards the Sámi languages, which arose in the era of Norwegianisation and were also transmitted among the Sámi themselves, partly still exist. Gradually however, the attitudes among the Sámi people have changed to a more positive direction and in some regions linguistic revitalisation has taken place, and the prestige and social status of the Sámi language has grown."	"In 1988 the Norwegian Parliament, adopted an amendment, Section 110 A, to the Norwegian constitution. This amendment states that the Norwegian state has the duty and responsibility to provide and ensure the conditions for the Sámi people to preserve and develop their culture, language and way of life. According to the Sámi Act the Norwegian and Sámi language have equal status, which in practice means the area of, Sámegiela hálddášanguovlu ‘the Administration Area for Sámi language’.	Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Norway; Sweden; Finland; Russia	"The North Sámi are in the majority in the following municipalities in Norway: Guovdageaidnu (in Norwegian Kautokeino), Kárášjohka (Karasjok), Deatnu (Tana) and Unjárga (Nesseby). The municipalities of Porsáŋgu (Porsang) and Gáivuotna (Kåfjord) also have a noticeable concentration of North Sámi people. In addition North Sámi speakers live outside the central North Sámi speaking area, especially in the cities."
			18th		2015	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	SIL International			Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		30,000-40,000	25,700	2013	10000-99999	"20,000 in Norway (Laakso 2013). Population total all countries: 25,700. Ethnic population: 30,000 (1995 M. Krauss). 30,000–40,000."	Norwegian [nor]		Statutory provincial language in Sami Administrative District (1987, Sami Act, No. 12, Article 3)			Vulnerable (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	"All ages."			Norway	"Finnmark, Troms counties; Nordland county: Ofoten."

North Saami

Language metadata

Language information by source

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

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1500-2000 in Finland, 5-7000 in Sweden, 20-23000 in Norway

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~ 17,000 - 32,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

21,000

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

16,500

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

25,700

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

30,000

Discussion

North Saami

Language metadata

Language information by source

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

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1500-2000 in Finland, 5-7000 in Sweden, 20-23000 in Norway

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~ 17,000 - 32,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

21,000

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

16,500

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

25,700

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

30,000

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

Compare Sources