View source for Ter Sámi

{{Short description|Nearly extinct Uralic language}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=ru|otherarticle=Йоканьгско-саамский язык|date=May 2024}}
{{Cleanup lang|date=October 2024|iso=sjt}}{{Infobox language
|name=Ter Sámi
|nativename= {{lang|sjt-Latn|saa´mekiill}} / {{lang|sjt-Cyrl|са̄мькӣлл}}
|states=[[Russia]]
|speakers=2
|date=2011
|ref=<ref name="Scheller20112" />
|familycolor=Uralic
|fam2=[[Sámi languages|Sámi]]
|fam3=[[Eastern Sámi languages|Eastern Sámi]]
|iso3=sjt
|glotto=ters1235
|glottorefname=Ter Saami<!-- Actual name of referenced Glottolog page -->
|script=[[Latin script]] (historical), [[Cyrillic script]] (current) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/tersami.htm|title=Ter Sámi alphabet, pronunciation and language |publisher=Omniglot.com |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref>
|map=File:Ter-SamiLanguageLocatorMap.svg
|mapcaption=Ter Sami language area (red) within Sápmi (grey)
|map2=Lang Status 20-CR.svg
|mapcaption2={{center|{{small|Ter Sámi is classified as Critically Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] [[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]] (2010)}}}}
}}
'''Ter Sámi''' was the easternmost of the [[Sámi languages]]. It was traditionally spoken in the northeastern part of the [[Kola Peninsula]], but now it is a [[Endangered language|moribund language]]; in 2004, only ten speakers were left. By 2011, the number of speakers had decreased to two.<ref name="barents">{{Cite news |last=Nilsen |first=Thomas |date=2010-02-19 |title=Sami languages disappears |language=en |work=Barent's Observer |url=https://barentsobserver.com/en/sections/society/sami-languages-disappears |access-date=2022-06-04}}</ref><ref name="Scheller20112">{{Cite book |last=Scheller |first=Elizabeth |title=Ethnic and Linguistic Context of Identity: Finno-Ugric Minorities |date=2011 |publisher=University of Helsinki, Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian Studies |isbn=978-952-5667-28-8 |editor1-last=Grünthal |editor1-first=Riho |location=Helsinki, Finland |pages=90–91 |chapter=The Sámi Language Situation in Russia |oclc=755168782 |editor2-last=Kovács |editor2-first=Magdolna |chapter-url=https://munin.uit.no/bitstream/handle/10037/5123/article.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref> Other estimates counted about 30 Ter Sámi speakers in [[Murmansk oblast]], as well as in [[St. Petersburg, Russia|St. Petersburg]], in 2007. The mean age of the youngest Ter Sámi speakers at that time was 50.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rießler |first=Michael |title=Språk og språkforhold i Sápmi |last2=Wilbur |first2=Joshua |publisher=Nordeuropa-Institut |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-932406-26-3 |editor-last=Bull |editor-first=Tove |location=Berlin, Germany |page=40 |trans-title=Language and Language Conditions in Sápmi |chapter=Documenting the Endangered Kola Saami Languages |doi=10.18452/1896 |editor-last2=Kusmenko |editor-first2=Jurij |editor-last3=Rießler |editor-first3=Michael}}</ref>
[[File:Sami dialects and settlements in Russia map.svg|thumbnail|300px|Sámi dialects and settlements in Russia:
{{legend|lightgreen|Ter}}
]]
==History==
[[File:ZoyaGerasimovaNinaAfanasyevaInterview.jpg|thumb|Zoya Gerasimova (left), one of the last speakers of Ter Sámi, in 2006.|alt=]]
In the end of the 19th century, there were six Ter Sámi villages in the eastern part of the Kola Peninsula, with a total population of approximately 450. In 2004, there were approximately 100 ethnic Ter Sámi of whom two elderly persons speak the language; the rest have [[Language shift|shifted]] their language to [[Russian language|Russian]].<ref name="Tiuraniemi Olli 2004">Tiuraniemi Olli: "Anatoli Zaharov on maapallon ainoa turjansaamea puhuva mies", ''Kide'' 6 / 2004.</ref>
The rapid decline in the number of speakers was caused by [[Collectivization in the Soviet Union|Soviet collectivisation]], during which its use was prohibited in schools and homes{{fact|date=March 2014}} in the 1930s, and the largest Ter Sámi village, Yokanga, was declared "[[Unpromising villages|perspectiveless]]" and its inhabitants were forced to move to the [[Gremikha]] [[military base]].<ref name="Tiuraniemi Olli 2004"/>
==Phonology==
=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
!
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- align="center"
![[Stop consonant|Plosive]]
|{{IPA link|p}} {{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|t}} {{IPA link|d}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|k}} {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|-
![[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
|
|{{IPA link|t͡s}} {{IPA link|d͡z}}
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|
|
|
|- align="center"
![[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|{{IPA link|f}} {{IPA link|v}}
|{{IPA link|s}} {{IPA link|z}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}} {{IPA link|ʒ}}
|
|{{IPA link|x}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|- align="center"
![[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n̥}} {{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|
|- align="center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]<br>[[Lateral approximant|(Lateral)]]
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|- align="center"
|
|{{IPA link|l̥}} {{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|
|- align="center"
![[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|{{IPA link|r̥}} {{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|}
* All consonants except for /j/ may be palatalized [ʲ].
* Consonants /t, d/ can also sound as half-palatalized.
=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
|- align="center"
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|iː}}
|{{IPA link|ɨ}}
|{{IPA link|ɨː}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|{{IPA link|uː}}
|- align="center"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɛ}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|o}}
|- align="center"
![[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" |
|{{IPA link|a}}
|{{IPA link|aː}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɔ}}
|}
* After palatalized consonants, {{IPA|/ɛ/}} is realized as {{IPAblink|e}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tereškin|first=Sergej N.|title=Jokan'gskij dialekt Saamskogo Jazyka|publisher=Sankt Petersburg: Rossijskij Gosudarstvennyj pedagogičeskij Universitet imeni|year=2002}}</ref>
==Documentation==
There are no educational materials or facilities in Ter Sámi, and the language has no standardized [[orthography]]. The language is incompletely studied and documented, though text specimens and audio recordings as well as dictionaries for linguistic purposes exist.<ref>Itkonen T. I.: "Koltan- ja kuolanlapin sanakirja", Helsinki: [[Société Finno-Ougrienne]], 1958.</ref><ref>Itkonen T. I.: "Koltan- ja kuolanlappalaisia satuja", 1931.''[[Société Finno-Ougrienne|Memoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne]] 60''</ref>
<!--The earliest known documentation of Sámi languages is a short Ter Sámi vocabulary collected by the [[British people|British]] explorer [[Stephen Borough|Stephen Burrough]] in 1557; the vocabulary was published by [[Richard Hakluyt]].<ref>Aikio Samuli: "Olbmot ovdal min - Sámiid historjá 1700-logu rádjái". Girjegiisá: Kárášjohka, 1992.</ref>-->
{{clear}}
== Writing system ==
A spelling system for Ter Sámi using the Latin alphabet and based on Skolt Sámi was developed in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ter Sámi language, alphabet and pronunciation |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/tersami.htm |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=omniglot.com}}</ref> After the Second World War, this was replaced by a system using the Cyrillic alphabet, and based on Kildin Sámi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/tersami.htm|title=Ter Sami alphabet, pronunciation and language |publisher=Omniglot.com |access-date=16 February 2018}}</ref> This system was used by the Sámi poet [[Oktyabrina Voronova]].<ref>Rießler, Michael (2018). "Kola Sámi literature (Kildin Sámi, Ter Sámi, Akkala Sámi)". In: [https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/305133/riesler2018b.pdf?sequence=1 ''"Čálli giehta olla guhkás" A writing hand reaches further ({S}ámi proverb)''] Johanna Domokos (ed.). Helsinki: Yhdenvertaisen kulttuurin puolesta ry, pp.&nbsp;73–78.</ref>
<!--
А аÄ äБ бВ вГ гД дЕ еË ë
[a][æ][b][v][g][d][jɛ][jɔ]
Ж жЗ зҺ һИ иЙ йҊ ҋЈ јК к
[ʒ][z][ʰ][i][j][j̥][k]
Л лӅ ӆМ мӍ ӎН нӉ ӊӇ ӈО о
[l][l̥][m][m̥][n][n̥][ŋ][ɔ]
П пР рҎ ҏС сТ тУ уФ фХ х
[p][r][r̥][s][t][u][f][x]
Ц цЧ чШ шЩ щЪ ъЫ ыЬ ьЭ э
[ts][ʧ][ʃ][ʃtʃ]”[ɨ]’[ɛ]
Ӭ ӭЮ юЯ я
[ɛ][ju][ja]
A aĀ āÅ åB bC cČ čD dE e
[a][a:][ɒ][b][ts][ʧ][d][e]
Ē ēF fG gH hI iĪ īƗ ɨJ j
[e:][f][g][x/ʰ][i][i:][ɨ][j]
K kL lM mN nŊ ŋO oŌ ōP p
[k][l][m][n][ŋ][o][o:][p]
S sŠ šT tU uŪ ūV vZ zŽ ž
[s][ʃ][t][u][u:][v][z][ʒ]
Ʒ ʒǮ ǯ’
[dz][dʒ][ʲ]-->
== Example of words in Ter Sámi ==
{|class="wikitable
|+ Sample vocabulary in Ter Sámi<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tersamisk - Allkunne|url=https://www.allkunne.no/framside/sprak/sprak-i-verda/tersamisk/7/84127/|access-date=2021-01-24|website=www.allkunne.no|language=no}}</ref>
! Ter Sámi || English gloss
|-
| {{lang|sjt|выэййвэ}}
| head
|-
| {{lang|sjt|ныкчым}}
| tongue
|-
| {{lang|sjt|кидт}}
| hand
|-
| {{lang|sjt|лоннҍт}}
| bird
|-
| {{lang|sjt|чадце}}
| water
|-
| {{lang|sjt|ке̄ддҍкэ}}
| stone
|-
| {{lang|sjt|аббьрэ}}
| rain
|-
| {{lang|sjt|толл}}
| fire
|}
== Grammar<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tereškin|first=Sergej|title=. Йоганьгский диалект саамского языка|year=2002|location=Saint Petersburg}}</ref> ==
Ter Sámi has 8 cases, [[Nominative]], [[Genitive]], [[Accusative]], [[Essive]], [[Inessive]]-[[Lative]], [[Dative]]-[[Illative]], [[Abessive]], and [[Comitative]].
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!case
!singular
!plural
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|NOM}}|Nominative}}
| -
|change of the main part of word
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|GEN}}|Genitive}}
|change of the main part of word
|change of the main part of word
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|ACC}}|Accusative}}
|change of the main part of word
|t
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|ESS}}|Essive}}
|n
|n
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|INE}}|Inessive}}
|s't
|n
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|DAT}}|Dative}}
|a, i
|t
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|ABE}}|Abessive}}
|ta
|ta
|-
|{{abbr|{{sc|COM}}|Comitative}}
|n
|k'em, g'em
|}
=== Examples of the Genitive ===
(in the [[Uralic phonetic alphabet|UPA]])
{{UPA|abre' paл}} = raining cloud
{{UPA|pɛci̮ pal'čemi̮š}} = slaughter of deer
{{UPA|taja oлmi̮j}} = German inhabitant
{{UPA|tara parnɛ}} = Russian boys
=== Plurals ===
In the Nominative case the base word changes when a plural is made.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Word
!Meaning
!Plural
!Meaning
|-
|mi̮rr
|forest
|mi̮r
|forests
|-
|k'iлл
|language
|k'iл
|languages
|-
|šiɛn'n'
|swamp
|šiɛn'
|swamps
|-
|tast
|star
|taast
|stars
|}
The word "ku", meaning: who, which in the cases.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Case
!Singular
!Plural
|-
|Nominative
|ku
|kogg
|-
|Genitive
|konn
|kojt
|-
|Accusative
|konn
|kojt
|-
|Essive
|kon'n'in
|kojn
|-
|Inessive
|kon'n'es't
|kojn
|-
|Dative
|kon'n'i
|kojt
|-
|Abessive
|konta
|kojta
|-
|Cominative
|kon'in
|kojgujm
|}
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Commons category inline}}
*[http://gtweb.uit.no/webdict/index_sjt-eng.html Ter saami dictionary]
*[https://www.academia.edu/30303100/Die_Struktur_der_Nominalphrase_im_Tersaamischen Die Struktur der Nominalphrase im Tersaamischen] (in German)
*[https://www.sgr.fi/fi/files/original/f57ffb28586762170a1ee2002de8d2ef.pdf Koltan- ja kuolanlapin sanakirja] (dictionary in German, contains Ter Saami)
*[https://fennougrica.kansalliskirjasto.fi/handle/10024/89931 Koltan- ja kuolanlappalaisia satuja] (texts in Kola Saami languages, includes Ter Saami)
{{Uralic languages}}
{{Sámi journalism}}
[[Category:Sámi in Russia]]
[[Category:Eastern Sámi languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Russia]]
[[Category:Endangered Uralic languages]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of Europe]]