SMS ISO 639-3
Saami, Skolt
Sääʹmǩiõll Autonym
A language of Finland
- ISO 639
- sms
- Alternate Names
- Kolta, Koltta, Lopar, Nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll, Russian Lapp, Saame, Same, “Lapp” (pej.), “Skolt Lappish” (pej.)
- Autonym
- Sääʹmǩiõll
- Population
- 300 in Finland (Salminen 2007). 2,000 all Saami in Finland (2018 census). Ethnic population: 500 (1995 M. Krauss). Total users in all countries: 320.
- Location:
- Lapland region: Inari municipality, Sevettijärvi area.
- Language Status
- 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of provincial identity in Sodankyla in Lapland, 3 municipalities elsewhere (2003, Sami Language Act No. 1086).
- Classification
- Uralic, Sami, Eastern
- Dialects
- Sevettijärvi, Nellim. Sevettijärvi is the ‘standard’ dialect of Skolt Sámi. Development of an official orthography is based on this dialect (2021 A. Humphreys).
- Typology
- SVO; dual number (pronouns); synthetic language; case-marking (9 cases); verbs marked for person, number, mood, and tense; 5 grammatical moods; 2 simple tenses, 2 compound tenses; 31 consonants and 10 vowels; 4 grammatical persons, including fourth person.
- Language Use
- Very few children learn the language (Salminen 2007). Adults only. Shifting to Finnish [fin].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 10%–60%. Literacy rate in L2: 75%–100%. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 1878–1988.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Saami, Skolt
- Writing
- Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in 1894. Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Moved to Finland from Russia during World War II. Christian.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Troms og Finnmark county: Sør-Varanger municipality.
- Dialects
- Neiden.
- Language Status
- 10 (Extinct) View other languages of Norway
Language Name
Saami, Skolt
User Population
No known L1 speakers in Norway.
- Location
- Murmansk province: north and west Kola peninsula, Petsamo area.
- Dialects
- Notozero (Njuõ’ttjäu’rrǩiõll, Notozersky), Motovsky (Muo’tǩǩ), Petsansky (Peäccam).
- Language Status
- 8b (Nearly extinct)
- Other Comments
- Christian. View other languages of Russian Federation
Language Name
Saami, Skolt
User Population
20 in Russian Federation (1995 M. Krauss). Ethnic population: 400 (1995 M. Krauss). 1,770 including all Saami (2010 census).
Map
Location: Lapland region: Inari municipality, Sevettijärvi area.
Size and Vitality
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