Skolt Sami

Skolt Sámi (Sääˊmǩiõll / Nuõrttsää’m)

Skolt Sámi is an Eastern Sámi language with about 400 speakers in
Finland and Russia. The majority of speakers live in Sevettijärvi in Finland,
and there are also some in the area surrounding Lake Lovozero in Russia.

After the Second World War Skolt Sámi people living in Finnish territory
in what is now Russia were evacuated to the villages of Inari, Sevettijärvi
and Nellim in the Inari municipality.

In Finland Skolt Sámi is has offical recognition as one of the Sámi languages,
and can be used in dealings with officialdom. It has offical status in Inari
and is taught in schools there, although only a small number of students
study it. There has also been an immersion programme since 1993, and
since 2005 it has been possible to sit a matriculartion exam in Skolt
Sámi.

A quarterly magazine in Skolt Sámi, Sää´mođđâz,
was publised between 1978 and 1986. Recently Skolt Sámi has been used
for rock songs.

Skolt Sámi alphabet and pronunciation

The Latin orthography for Skolt Sámi was officially adopted in 1973.

Skolt Sámi alphabet

Skolt Sámi alphabet

Notes

  • The letters q, w, x, y and ö are also used, although only in foreign words or loans.
  • ‘ after vowels causes centralization and before consonants it causes palatalization

Skolt Sámi pronunciation

Skolt Sámi pronunciation

Notes

  • Unvoiced stops and affricates are pronounced preaspirated after vowels and sonorant consonants.
  • Voiced stops and affricates are usually weakly voiced.
  • h is pronounced /h/ in initial position.

Sample text

Mon leäm Erkki Lumisalmi šõddâm Aanar kåå dd Njeällem siidâst. Leäm nuõrttsämlaž. Puärrâs lee puättâm Peäccmest mân*n*a väinn ko Peäccam joouti e pet Ruõššnjânnma, nu tt ko tõt lij leämmoški ääi jeb. Ko li jjim u cc pä rnn de mij doma maainstin pâI säämas da seämma tõn siõm siidâst puk maainste säämas, nääi t kiõll jie li. Puärsab olmmo maainste nubben kiõllân ruõšškiõll de tõt kiõll še leäi tõl touddsab ko täbbe.

Source: http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szerkeszt%C5%91:Eino81/Inari_hang

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