Ume Sámi

Ume Sámi (, , ) is a Sámi language spoken in Sweden and formerly in Norway. According to UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010), there are fewer than 20 speakers of Ume Sami.Ume Saami, Endangered Languages Project , citing “Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger” . Christopher Moseley (ed.) (2010) UNESCO Publishing, among others(retrieved May 5, 2025) It was spoken mainly along the Ume River in the south of present-day Arjeplog, in Sorsele and in Arvidsjaur.Pekka Sammallahti, The Saami languages: an introduction, Kárášjohka, 1998

Dialects The best documented variety of Ume Sami is that of one Lars Sjulsson (born 1871) from Setsele, close to Malå, whose idiolect was documented by W. Schlachter in a 1958 dictionary and subsequent work. Dialect variation exists within the Ume Sami area, however. A main division is between more (north)western dialects such as those of Maskaure, Tärna and Ullisjaure (typically agreeing with Southern Sami), versus more (south)eastern dialects such as those of Malå, Malmesjaure and Mausjaure (typically agreeing with Pite Sami).

Feature Western Ume Sami Eastern Ume Sami Notes original *ðː accusative singular ending -p -w from Proto-Samic *-m word for 'eagle' (h)àrʰčə àrtnəs

Phonology

Consonants LabialDental/AlveolarPost-alveolarVelarGlottalNasal Plosive Affricate Fricativevoiceless voiced Trill Approximant

and are allophones of and , respectively. When a sound occurs before a plosive or an affricate sound, they are then realized as preaspirated sounds. If an sound occurs before a sound, it is realized as a palatal lateral sound. Some western dialects of the language lack the phoneme.

Vowels Front Central Back short long short long short long Close Mid Open

Four diphthongs are included; , , , . A schwa sound may exist as an allophone of various vowel sounds.

Writing system

Until 2010, Ume Sámi did not have an official written standard, although it was the first Sámi language to be written extensively (because a private Christian school for Sámi children started in Lycksele 1632, where Ume Sámi was spoken). The New Testament was published in Ume Sámi in 1755 and the first Bible in Sámi was also published in Ume Sámi, in 1811.

The current official orthography is maintained by the Working Group for Ume Sámi, whose most recent recommendation was published in 2016.

Letter/Digraph Phoneme(s) A a Á á B b D d Đ đ E e , F f G g H h I i Ï ï J j K k , L l M m N n Ŋ ŋ O o (only in diphthongs) P p , R r S s T t , Tj tj/tʃ/ Ŧ ŧ U u , Ü ü , V v Y y Å å , Ä ä Ö ö (only in diphthongs)

Shortcomings: Vowel length is ambiguous for the letters , and . In reference works, the length is indicated by a macron (, , ). In older orthographies, length could be indicated by writing a double vowel. No distinction is made between long and overlong consonants, both being written with a double consonant letter. In reference works, the overlong stops are indicated with a vertical line (, etc.)

Grammar Consonant gradation Unlike its southern neighbor Southern Sámi, Ume Sámi has consonant gradation. However, gradation is more limited than it is in the more northern Sami languages, because it does not occur in the case of short vowels followed by a consonant that can gradate to quantity 1 (that is, Proto-Samic single consonants or geminates). In these cases, only quantity 3 appears. Consonant clusters can gradate regardless of the preceding vowel.

Cases Ume Sámi has 8 cases:Korhonen Olavi & Barruk Henrik, 2010, Kurs i umesamiska (2010‑02‑07)

Nominative Accusative Genitive Illative Inessive Elative Comitative Essive

Pronouns Like other Sámi languages, Ume Sámi distinguishes pronouns in three numbers but not in gender. There are different words for “we”, “you”, and “they” depending on whether the referent is the two of us, the two of you, the two of them (dual) or if it includes more than two (three or more). Singular Dual Plural 1st person månna månnije mïjjah 2nd person dådna dåj dïjjah 3rd person sådna såj sïjjah

Verbs

Persons and numbers Verbs in Ume Sámi encode three persons, first, second and third. As with pronouns, verbs also enconde the three grammatical numbers: singular, dual and plural.

Tense, Mood, and aspect Verbs in Ume Sámi encode two tenses, present and past, and two grammatical moods: indicative and imperative.

Negative verb Ume Sámi, like all Finnic and other Sámi languages, has a negative verb. In Ume Sámi, the negative verb conjugates according to mood (indicative and imperative), person (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and number (singular, dual and plural).

Lexicon

Kinship terms Kinship terms in Ume Sámi mostly descend from proto-Uralic or proto-Samic (see below). As in many Uralic languages, the word for “son” is a borrowing, in Ume Sámi bárnnie, is also borrowed from Germanic barna. +Nuclear familymotherfatherdaughtersonsisterbrotherUme SámieädnieáhttjieneäjddabárnnieåbbáveälljaNorthern SámieadniáhččinieidabárdnioabbávielljaSkolt Sámijeä′n'n ~ jie′n'n e′č ~ ee′čnijdd (niõđ)pä′rnnvuä′b'bvillj ~ vi′lljFinnishäiti (emä)isätytärpoikasiskoveliKomiмам (mam)ай (aj)ныв (nɨv)детина (djetina)соч (soč)вок (vok) For extended family members, Ume Sámi distinguishes not only the relationship to ego, but also their gender, sometimes their age and their own relationship to one's nuclear family. Extended familyGrandmothermaternaltjidtjáhkká, áhkkápaternaláhtjáhkká, áhkkáGrandfathermaternaltjidtjájjá, ájjápaternaláhtjájjá, ájjáAuntmaternalolder than mothergåsskieyounger than mothermuahrrá ~ muahđđapaternalsiässáUnclematernaljyönnapaternalolder than fatherjiehkieyounger than fathertjiehtsieNiece or Nephewsister's childniähpádebrother's childsiässaleCousinlávvie

Reindeer husbandry words Traditionally, the Sámi are reindeer herders, and as such, Sámi languages have developed a wide vocabulary with terms to describe both the animal and actions related to its husbandry. These terms describe not only gender and age but also their color, their position in the herd, and others. Below are only some of the underived words, and many other possibilities exist in compounds, especially with -tjuoke and -ahkka as head words: giätjuoke “untamed reindeer”, ruadtjuoke, “a reindeer that digs after urine”, tjånatahkka “a reindeer that is tied to a sledge”, lijrestahkka “a reindeer that one leads”, etc. +General types of reindeerreindeergifted reindeerlone reindeerstraggler reindeercastrated reindeerbåtsuojbániekeveäjssasåjbbagáskieke Transcription Swedish translationEnglish translation A reindeer herding dog must begin its training with a leash. Then one has to run from one side [of the herd] to the other and also on the area where they [the reindeer] rest, while others are eating. One must run around the herd with the dog [to be trained] on a leash, so that the dog sees how people do it. The trained dog then runs around the herd and does not allow any to slip away. Then there are often dogs that are not fully trained [and] who single out a reindeer and drive it away [i.e. to kill it]. Then one must put a leash on that [dog] and strike it.

Ume Sámi

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