Saami, Skolt

A language of Finland

Kolta, Koltta, Lopar, Nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll, Russian Lapp, Saame, Same, “Lapp” (pej.), “Skolt Lappish” (pej.)

Sääʹmǩiõll

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 Maps

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

Western Russian Federation

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.