52 Sami word for snow (sort of)

Tideman · 172997. Wed May 09, 2007 1:46 pm

They busted the eskimo myth but the sami has some 200 words that all mean snow or ice (in some way or another). I only have 52.
As I dont speak sami this might be horribly wrong, but someone will point
that out.. right? Im sure alot is lost in the translation but I will give it a shot.

aškka - when a river is blocked(?) and the water freezes
áinnádat - when snow has covered the (ski/animal)tracks but they are still slightly visible
bearta - when the weather is mild after snowing, and the snow becomes compact
bieggagaikkohat - a patch of where the wind has blown most or all the snow away
bihci - frost on the pasture
boara - during spring when the ice melts on a river and ice-slush is gushing out (??)
boðas - is fall when the sides of a river freezes, and when rocks freeze to the ground (?)
bohkolat - deep snow with varying thickness
borga - snowdrift
borga TV:s - Snow on TV
bulži - crust of ice on trees, shoes and (farming)tools
ceavvi - snow so compact it can carry people
cuoŋu - snow heap solid enough to carry people or reindeers
čáðgi - light and sunny weather (while its snowing)
časttas - when the wind has blown the snow into a heap that looks like waves
čearga - when wind has blown snow so compact you cannot get your ski-staff through it
činus - when snow fell during mild weather causing it to become compact so.. you cannot get your ski-staff through it
čuohki - ice-crust on a pasture
deamádat - a layer of wet powder snow
doalli - tracks so covered with snow that only a reindeer can follow them
dobádat - wet snow that sticks to everything
earbmi - snowfall with small snowflakes
fáskka - snow blown by the wind into an embankment
gaskageardni - harder snow or ice under the snow
gállji - slippery ice
girrat - after snowfall the weather gets colder and the snow gets so tough skiing is impossible
goahpálat - wet snowfall that sticks to everything
guoldu - snow blown with the wind
jassa - patches of snow still around when most of the snow is gone
joavgga - when snow has been blown behind a tree or wall, but before it gets solid
lavki - ice with dry snow on top
luotkkus - fluffy white snow when there is no wind
moarri - thin ice crust that breaks and cuts the hoofs of horses and reindeers
moskkur - snow that has fallen on a reindeertrack and is old and semi-soft
muohta - snow
njáhcu - wet snow because of mild weather
njuohpa - really slippery ice with water or powdersnow on top
oppas - so much snow you have to wade through it
rodda - completely massive snow, but not ice
ruokŋa - thin ice crust on snow
sarti - a layer of frozen snow on a pasture, can allso be the bottom layer of a pile of snow (?)
seaŋáš - grainy snow one layer under the current snow
sievlla - snow so wet you "sink" through it
sittardit - very pretty snowfall
skávvi - when the snow in the spring has been wet, but the temperature has fallen so the snow is solid enough to maintain a skiier
skoavddas - a cavity/void in the snow
šlavzi - completely soaking wet snow
slievar - soft powdersnow that drifts easily with the wind
soavli - snow and ice mixed into a sludge
spoatna - very little and loose snow in the mountain (not in the forest) so you dont have to use skiis
vahca - new powder snow, mostly used when fallen on older snow
vuohčči - smooth glossy ice with moisture on top

Ahh.. that was a bit harder than I though. Please help fill in the gaps, 148 words to go.

suze · 173101. Wed May 09, 2007 7:29 pm

There isn't actually one Sámi language; there are nine (Inari, Kildin, Lule, Northern, Pite, Skolt, Southern, Ter and Umi). But based on the orthography, I think the language from which those words have come is Northern Sámi, the most widely spoken of the nine.

(Since some readers mightn't know, it's the language which some call Lapplandish, although that term is best avoided.)

And yes, they do have an awful lot of words for snow, ice and things related to them - as one would expect, given the nature of the place where they live. One consequence of this is that there is a movement to adopt their terminology worldwide in the field of "snowology" (I've just made that word up, I hope).

http://english.karasjok.kommune.no/document.aspx?uid=43&title=Sami+language

The claim that there are as many as 200 came from a book called Samerna i historien och nutiden (Ruong, I 1982, Bonnier Fakta) - so that might be the place to start if seeking a full list. It's in Swedish.

Mulvil · 173121. Wed May 09, 2007 9:27 pm

Quick question, is there anything you don't know suze?

Back to the topic, it was once pointed out to mean that english also has a lot of words and phrases for different types of snow/ice

suze · 173124. Wed May 09, 2007 9:31 pm

Yes. But you know, the more one knows the more one knows that one doesn't know.

I do of course know a fair bit about languages - it's my job to, after all. The bulky lever arch folders full of notes on the subject which sit in our home office help as well. And then there's something called Google ...

Tideman · 173156. Wed May 09, 2007 11:34 pm

Making it a global phenomenon might not be that far off considering that
most sami people now live in the bigger cities in the south of scandinavia.
However, only about 1/3 of samis now speak their native language, so
that might slow down the movement quite a bit.

60 000 samis, yet only 15 000 speakers in Norway, 3 000 in Sweden,
2 000 in Finland and 500 in Russia. A dying language perhaps..

On a more interesting note however, DNA research apparantly
claims that 95.6% of the female MtDNA is of iberian origin and
4.4% is of siberian-asian origin. Males on the other hand are
29.8% iberian and 58.2% of various eastern european origin.
There are even traces to the Berbers/Imazighen of northern africa.
Quite a contrast to the commonly accepted version of them beeing
of asian/mongol ancestry.

samivel · 173157. Wed May 09, 2007 11:37 pm

Tideman · 173160. Wed May 09, 2007 11:43 pm

Google is only good for backing up what you already know.
Unfortunately... ;)