Northern Sami (Davvisamegiella) is the most widely spoken indigenous language of Scandinavia, with approximately 25,000 speakers across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. A Uralic language — related to Finnish and Hungarian, but NOT to any Indo-European language — Sami carries a millennia-old culture shaped by the Arctic tundra, reindeer and the Northern Lights. Learning Sami in 2026 means connecting with one of Europe's most fascinating indigenous peoples.
History of the Sami People and Language
The Sami (also called Lapps, though this term is considered derogatory) inhabit Sapmi — their ancestral territory stretching from northern Norway to the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The earliest traces of Sami presence date back over 10,000 years, making the Sami one of the oldest peoples in Europe.
The Sami language belongs to the Uralic family, Finno-Samic branch. There are actually NINE distinct Sami languages, many of which are mutually unintelligible. Northern Sami is by far the most spoken (approximately 25,000 of the total 30,000 Sami speakers).
Sami history is marked by centuries of colonisation and forced assimilation. In Norway, the "Norwegianisation" policy (fornorsking), active from the 1850s to the 1960s, banned the use of Sami in schools and administration. In Sweden, Sami children were sent to separate "nomad schools." The joik (traditional chant) was forbidden in Christian schools.
The turning point came in the 1970s-80s with the "Alta movement" (1979-1981) — a massive mobilisation against the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Sami territory. Although the dam was built, the mobilisation led to the creation of the Sami Parliament of Norway (Samediggi) in 1989, followed by those of Sweden (1993) and Finland (1996).
Writing System
Northern Sami uses the Latin alphabet augmented with seven special characters:
| Letter |
| Description |
| -------- |
| ------------ |
| a |
| long "a" |
| c |
| like "ch" in Czech |
| d |
| like "th" in English "this" |
| n |
| like "ng" in "parking" |
| s |
| like "sh" in "shoe" |
| t |
| like "th" in "think" |
| z |
| like "s" in "measure" |
| Sound |
| Example |
| ------- |
| --------- |
| a |
| ahkku (grandmother) |
| a |
| ahcci (father) |
| ea |
| bealji (ear) |
| ie |
| giella (language) |
| oa |
| boazu (reindeer) |
| uo |
| guolli (fish) |
| c |
| cahci (water) |
| d |
| eadi (easy) |
| t |
| muotta (aunt) |
| Case |
| Example with "guolli" (fish) |
| ------ |
| ------ |
| Nominative |
| guolli (the fish) |
| Accusative/Genitive |
| guoli (the fish / of the fish) |
| Illative |
| guollai (towards the fish) |
| Locative |
| guolis (at/from the fish) |
| Comitative |
| guliin (with the fish) |
| Essive |
| guollin (as a fish) |
| Northern Sami |
| -------------- |
| Bures |
| Bures bures |
| Mana dearvan |
| Giitu |
| Leage buorre |
| De |
| Ii |
| Mii du namma lea? |
| Mu namma lea ... |
| Mo manna? |
| Bures manna |
| Mun in adde |
| Sahtte go veahkehit mu? |
| Mun halidan oahppat samegiela |
| Number |
| -------- |
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| Northern Sami |
| -------------- |
| Vuossarga |
| Mannebarga |
| Gaskavahkku |
| Duorastaga |
| Bearjadaga |
| Lavvardaga |
| Sotnabeaivi |
Sami Culture
Reindeer and the Boazovazzi
Reindeer herding (boazodoallu) is the heart of Sami culture. The word "boazu" (domestic reindeer) is distinct from "goddi" (wild reindeer). Sami has over 300 words to describe reindeer according to their age, sex, antler shape, colour and behaviour. Similarly, there are hundreds of terms for snow and ice — "muohta" (snow in general), "seanas" (granular snow), "skavvi" (crusted snow), "vahca" (fresh soft snow).
The Joik (Luohti)
The joik is the oldest vocal tradition in Europe — predating even Gregorian chant. Unlike Western song, you don't joik ABOUT someone or something: you joik someone or something. The joik is the sonic essence of a person, animal or landscape. Each person potentially has their own joik. The joik was banned for decades by Christian missionaries who considered it sorcery.
Today, artists like Mari Boine and Sofia Jannok have brought the joik to the world, fusing tradition with contemporary music.
Sami National Day (February 6)
February 6 is Sami National Day, commemorating the first Sami congress held in Trondheim, Norway in 1917. The Sami flag, created in 1986 by artist Astrid Bahl, features a circle divided into two halves (red = sun, blue = moon) on a green, red, yellow and blue background.
Duodji (Handicraft)
Duodji is traditional Sami handicraft: reindeer leather work, wood and horn carving, weaving, sewing of traditional clothing (gakti). Duodji is not merely craft — it is a protected form of cultural and spiritual expression.
Sami Today
Despite centuries of oppression, Sami is experiencing a revival:
Learn Sami with Targumi
Targumi is the only platform in the world that offers Sami alongside more than 106 rare languages — from Breton to Balochi, from Inuktitut to Navajo. Our courses are designed with native speakers.
Learning Sami means connecting with a people who have lived in harmony with the Arctic for 10,000 years. It means discovering a worldview shaped by the tundra, reindeer and the Northern Lights. And it means contributing to the survival of a unique culture on this planet.
Mana dearvan, ja bures boahtin oahppat samegiela! (Goodbye, and welcome to learn Sami!)