Counting in Southern Sami
Language overview
Southern Sami (Åarjelsaemien gïele) belongs to the Uralic family, in the Finno-Ugric group. It is spoken in the municipalities of Snåsa and Hattfjelldal (Norway) by about 600 speakers.
Southern Sami numbers list
- 1 – akte
- 2 – göökte
- 3 – golme
- 4 – njieljie
- 5 – vïjhte
- 6 – govhte
- 7 – tjïjhtje
- 8 – gaektsie
- 9 – uktsie
- 10 – luhkie
- 11 – luhkieakte
- 12 – luhkiegöökte
- 13 – luhkiegolme
- 14 – luhkienjieljie
- 15 – luhkievïjhte
- 16 – luhkiegovhte
- 17 – luhkietjïjhtje
- 18 – luhkiegaektsie
- 19 – luhkieuktsie
- 20 – göökteluhkie
- 30 – golmeluhkie
- 40 – njieljieluhkie
- 50 – vïjhteluhkie
- 60 – govhteluhkie
- 70 – tjïjhtjeluhkie
- 80 – gaektsieluhkie
- 90 – uktsieluhkie
- 100 – tjuetie
- 1,000 – tåvsene
- one million – akte miljon
Southern 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 nine are specific words: akte [1], göökte [2], golme [3], njieljie [4], vïjhte [5], govhte [6], tjïjhtje [7], gaektsie [8], and uktsie [9].
- The tens are formed by suffixing the multiplier digit with the word for ten (luhkie), with the exception of ten itself: luhkie [10], göökteluhkie [20], golmeluhkie [30], njieljieluhkie [40], vïjhteluhkie [50], govhteluhkie [60], tjïjhtjeluhkie [70], gaektsieluhkie [80], and uktsieluhkie [90].
- Compound numbers are formed by saying the ten, then the digit with no space (e.g.: luhkiegöökte [12], göökteluhkieakte [21], vïjhteluhkiegovhte [56]).
- Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier unit before the word for hundred (tjuetie), with no space, with the exception of one hundred itself: tjuetie [100], gööktetjuetie [200], golmetjuetie [300], njieljietjuetie [400], vïjhtetjuetie [500], govhtetjuetie [600], tjïjhtjetjuetie [700], gaektsietjuetie [800], and uktsietjuetie [900].
- Thousands are formed by setting the multiplier unit before the word for thousand (tåvsene) with no space, with the exception of one thousand itself: tåvsene [1,000], gööktetåvsene [2,000], golmetåvsene [3,000], njieljietåvsene [4,000], vïjhtetåvsene [5,000], govhtetåvsene [6,000], tjïjhtjetåvsene [7,000], gaektsietåvsene [8,000], and uktsietåvsene [9,000].
- Millions are formed by setting the multiplier unit before the word for million (miljon, plural miljona) separated with a space: akte miljon [1 million], göökte miljona [2 million], golme miljona [3 million], njieljie miljona [4 million], vïjhte miljona [5 million]…
- Compound numbers are formed by juxtaposing the numbers with no space from the higher ones to the smaller ones (e.g.: gööktetjuetievïjhteluhkiegaektsie [258], tåvsenetjïjhtjetjuetiegaektsieluhkieuktsie [1,789]), the million word being separated with spaces (e.g.: akte miljon tjïjhtjetåvsenevïjhte [1,007,005], göökte miljona tåvsenegolmetjuetie [2,001,300]).
Write a number in full in Southern Sami
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Southern 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
by Veli-Pekka Lehtola, editors University of Alaska Press (2005)
[
Amazon.com]
Parlons Lapon : Les Sames, langue et culture
by Jocelyne Fernandez-Vest, editors L’Harmattan (1997)
[ 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.