Counting in Northern Sami

Language overview

Forty-two in Northern Sami Northern Sami (davvisámegiella, sámegiella) belongs to the Uralic family, in the Finno-Ugric group. It is spoken in Lapland, a cultural region lying mostly within the Arctic Circle in Finland, Sweden and Norway, by about about 20.000 speakers.

Northern Sami numbers list

  • 1 – okta
  • 2 – guokte
  • 3 – golbma
  • 4 – njeallje
  • 5 – vihtta
  • 6 – guhtta
  • 7 – čieža
  • 8 – gávcci
  • 9 – ovcci
  • 10 – logi
  • 11 – oktanuppelohkái
  • 12 – guoktenuppelohkái
  • 13 – golbmanuppelohkái
  • 14 – njealljenuppelohkái
  • 15 – vihttanuppelohkái
  • 16 – guhttanuppelohkái
  • 17 – čiežanuppelohkái
  • 18 – gávccinuppelohkái
  • 19 – ovccinuppelohkái
  • 20 – guoktelogi
  • 30 – golbmalogi
  • 40 – njealljelogi
  • 50 – vihttalogi
  • 60 – guhttalogi
  • 70 – čiežalogi
  • 80 – gávccilogi
  • 90 – ovccilogi
  • 100 – čuođi
  • 1,000 – duhat
  • one million – miljon

Northern Sami numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

  • Numbers from one to ten are specific words: okta [1], guokte [2], golbma [3], njeallje [4], vihtta [5], guhtta [6], čieža [7], gávcci [8], ovcci [9], and logi [10].
  • From eleven to nineteen, the numbers are formed from the matching digits, adding the suffix nuppelohkái: oktanuppelohkái [11], guoktenuppelohkái [12], golbmanuppelohkái [13], njealljenuppelohkái [14], vihttanuppelohkái [15], guhttanuppelohkái [16], čiežanuppelohkái [17], gávccinuppelohkái [18], and ovccinuppelohkái [19].
  • The tens are formed by suffixing the multiplier digit with the word for ten (logi), with the exception of ten itself: logi [10], guoktelogi [20], golbmalogi [30], njealljelogi [40], vihttalogi [50], guhttalogi [60], čiežalogi [70], gávccilogi [80], and ovccilogi [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by saying the ten, then the digit with no space (e.g.: guoktelogiguokte [22], njealljelogiguhtta [46]).
  • Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier unit directly before the word for hundred (čuođi), with the exception of one hundred itself: čuođi [100], guoktečuođi [200], golbmačuođi [300], njeallječuođi [400], vihttačuođi [500], guhttačuođi [600], čiežačuođi [700], gávccičuođi [800], and ovccičuođi [900].
  • Thousands are formed by setting the multiplier unit before the word for thousand (duhat) with no space, with the exception of one thousand itself: duhat [1,000], guokteduhat [2,000], golbmaduhat [3,000], njealljeduhat [4,000], vihttaduhat [5,000], guhttaduhat [6,000], čiežaduhat [7,000], gávcciduhat [8,000], and ovcciduhat [9,000].
  • Millions are formed by setting the multiplier unit before the word for million (miljon, plural miljovnna) with no space, except for one million: miljon [1 million], guoktemiljovnna [2 million], golbmamiljovnna [3 million], njealljemiljovnna [4 million], vihttamiljovnna [5 million]…
  • Compound numbers are formed by juxtaposing the numbers with no space from the higher ones to the smaller ones (e.g.: guoktečuođivihttalogigávcci [258], duhatčiežačuođigávccilogiovcci [1,789], miljončiežaduhatvihtta [1,007,005], vihttamiljovnnaduhatguoktečuođigolbmalogi [5,001,230]).

Write a number in full in Northern Sami

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Northern Sami. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.

Books

The Sami People: Traditions in Transitions The Sami People: Traditions in Transitions
by , editors University of Alaska Press (2005)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Parlons Lapon : Les Sames, langue et culture Parlons Lapon : Les Sames, langue et culture
by , editors L’Harmattan (1997)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Source

Sami languages

Inari Sami, Lule Sami, Northern Sami, Pite Sami, Skolt Sami, Southern Sami, and Ume Sami.

Other supported languages

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.