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Nothing helps you stand out while traveling more than speaking the local language. We encourage everyone to learn a few phrases in the Sami language when staying with the Sami reindeer herders in Norway. Learning a few keywords in a local language will open up possibilities for you and make a good impression.
Do you know indigenous peoples speak over 4,000 of the world's 7,000-odd languages? But many of the world's indigenous languages are under threat of disappearing. Indigenous languages not only help people to communicate with each other, but indigenous languages also carry the ethical values of their ancestors. The indigenous knowledge systems, traditions, ways of thinking, and environmental knowledge are embedded in their languages.
When you visit an area inhabited by Sami reindeer herders in northern Europe, you can make a great first impression by saying hello in the Sami language. Before we go to the Sami greetings, it is good to know a bit about their Sami language or languages, as there are many of them. The Sami people are the European Union's only indigenous peoples, and they live in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The Sami people speak Sami languages that belong to the Fenno-Ugrian language group. About 30,000 people speak these languages, but some Sami languages have already disappeared, and some have only a few speakers left.
The Sami language is divided into three main languages: Eastern, Central, and Southern. These languages are further divided into nine distinct variants. Some of these Sami languages are under threat of disappearing. For example, the Inari Sami language is spoken by only 300 people. Most Inari Sami speakers are middle-aged or elderly, so the language is seriously endangered. The Sami reindeer herders in northern Norway speak the Northern Sami language, which has about 20,000 speakers. An interesting fact! Did you know the northern Sami language has over 200 words for describing the different conditions of snow like melted, hard, soft, and so on?
Unfortunately, climate change is the biggest threat to indigenous languages, gravely impacting their traditional livelihood. Climate change is the most visible in the Arctic, so temperature changes snow conditions, leading to loss of words and traditions. Learn some basic greetings in Northern Sami
Hi! Bures!
Good morning! Buorre iđit!
How are you? Mo dat manna?
I'm fine, thank you! Giitu, manná bures!
Welcome! Bures boahtin!
Thank you! Giitu!
You are welcome! Olu giitu!
Bye! Mana!
What is your name? Mii du namma lea?
My name is Niiilas Mu namma lea Niilas
Good luck! Ollu lihkku!
Have a good trip! Buorre matki!
Visit Natives is a travel agency whose mission is to help indigenous peoples to maintain their cultural heritage and traditional livelihoods, like reindeer herding, for future generations through small-scale sustainable tourism. If you are interested in traveling for good and exploring fascinating indigenous cultures, check out our expeditions and trips among the indigenous peoples in Norway and Tanzania here. You can book a homestay or join a Sami reindeer migration with a Sami reindeer herder family and live like a Sami herder in the most beautiful wilderness in northern Norway. These trips are the most authentic and unique way to discover rich Sami reindeer herding culture and get to know the Sami people.