Language/Finnish/Grammar/Sami-and-Karelian-Languages
Finnish is not the only language spoken in Finland. There are also minority languages that are recognized by law, such as Sami and Karelian. Sami and Karelian are unique languages with different rules and characteristics than Finnish. They are not dialects of Finnish, but completely separate languages.
Sami Language
Sami, also known as Sámi or Saami, is a Uralic language and is spoken by the Sami people in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. There are nine different Sami languages, with the biggest being Northern Sami. Northern Sami has an official minority language status in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Sami grammar differs greatly from Finnish grammar. Sami has nine cases, just like Finnish, but has a simpler system of vowel harmony. Sami vocabulary also includes words that relate to reindeer herding, a traditional Sami occupation.
Here are some examples of basic Sami phrases:
| Sami | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Buorre iđit! | boh-re ih-dit | Good morning! |
| Mánu lea mu mielas. | ma-nu le-a mu miel-as | I like the month of the moon (meaning January). |
| Dát lea Sápmi. | dat le-a sahp-mi | This is Sápmi. |
| Báhcci lea vuossá. | bahh-tchi le-a vuoh-sah | The reindeer is fat. |
Karelian Language
Karelian is a Balto-Finnic language spoken by the Karelian people in Russia and Finland. It is closely related to the Finnish language, with similar vocabulary and grammar.
Karelian has three dialects: Northern, Central, and Southern Karelian. The language is written using both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.
Here are some examples of basic Karelian phrases:
| Karelian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hyvää päivvvää. | hyh-vää päi-vää | Good day. |
| Kažon n'äät?! | kaz-on näät | What do you see? |
| Vuahta omma pazemmua. | vuah-ta om-ma paz-em-mua | My goat is faster. |
| Muaššõlzõn čïžy. | muah-sh-shol-zon chi-zy | I would like some cheese. |
If you want to learn more about the Sami or Karelian languages, there are several resources available online that can help you get started.
Sources