Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Saami (Central-South), Saami (Southern), Same, Samic, Saamen kieli, Sāme-giellâ, Vefsn, Eteläsaame, Saamí meridional, "Lapon", Sabme, Same, "Lopary", "Lappic", "Lapp", "Lappisk", "Lapin kieli", Saamskij jazyk, "Südlappisch", "Lappish", "Røroslappisk"
CLASSIFICATION		Uralic, Saami
ORTHOGRAPHY		Latin
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		sma
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		The preferred name for this group of languages is Saami. "Lapp" is an outdated term, and is not recommended for use. It is included in the list of alternate names here, for the benefit of those searching for language names referenced in older materials.

Compare Sources (5)

Information from: “Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition” . Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig · SIL International

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
600
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"300 in Sweden (Krauss 1995) ... Ethnic population: 600 in Sweden."

MORE ON VITALITY

"Used by few children"

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

"Statutory provincial language in administrative area municipalities located in at least part of the following counties: Dalarna, Jämtland, Norrbotten, Västerbotten (2009, NMNML Act No. 724, Article 6)."

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Swedish

Scripts (Writing system)

Latin

PLACES: Sweden; Norway;

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
600
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

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

2-500 in Sweden, 2-500 in Norway
Native speakers worldwide

MORE ON VITALITY

"Kildin, Inari, Skolt and South Sámi languages are all spoken by 300 to 1000 individuals. Although these four
varieties risk being replaced by the dominating languages, they are transmitted to children at home in some families and/or in special scholastic immersion environments known as “language nests” for a smaller number of children, and language emersion camps for adolescents. Therefore, they are not immediately threatened by extinction."

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

An education act was passed by the Norwegian parliament in 2007 which made Sámi language education a right for all Sámi children throughout Norway. In 1995, a law was passed to have all kindergartens in Sámi areas be based on Sámi language and culture.
Sweden has a Sámi language act which "give[s] speakers of Sámi the right to use Sámi in contact with the authorities in the Sámi administrative areas." In some special Sámi schools, Sámi languages are used through grade six.

PLACES: Sweden, Norway

		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.		2-500 in Sweden, 2-500 in Norway					An education act was passed by the Norwegian parliament in 2007 which made Sámi language education a right for all Sámi children throughout Norway. In 1995, a law was passed to have all kindergartens in Sámi areas be based on Sámi language and culture. Sweden has a Sámi language act which "give[s] speakers of Sámi the right to use Sámi in contact with the authorities in the Sámi administrative areas." In some special Sámi schools, Sámi languages are used through grade six.		"Kildin, Inari, Skolt and South Sámi languages are all spoken by 300 to 1000 individuals. Although these four varieties risk being replaced by the dominating languages, they are transmitted to children at home in some families and/or in special scholastic immersion environments known as “language nests” for a smaller number of children, and language emersion camps for adolescents. Therefore, they are not immediately threatened by extinction."	Sweden, Norway
	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	500	100-999					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)			64.2063,13.4802
	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.		600	100-999	"300 in Sweden (Krauss 1995) ... Ethnic population: 600 in Sweden."	Swedish	"Statutory provincial language in administrative area municipalities located in at least part of the following counties: Dalarna, Jämtland, Norrbotten, Västerbotten (2009, NMNML Act No. 724, Article 6)."		Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	"Used by few children"	Sweden; Norway;
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.											64.6666666667,16.75
			World Oral Literature Project					http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		600	100-999					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

South Saami

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

500

2-500 in Sweden, 2-500 in Norway

Discussion

South Saami

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

500

2-500 in Sweden, 2-500 in Norway

Discussion

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