Paleo-Laplandic
Native toSápmi
Extinctaround 500 AD
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
Languages of northern Europe in the early iron age

Paleo-Laplandic is a hypothetical group of extinct but related languages spoken in Sápmi (northern Scandinavia). The speakers of Paleo-Laplandic languages switched to Sámi languages, and the languages became extinct around 500 CE. A considerable amount of words in Sámi languages originate from Paleo-Laplandic;[1] more than 1,000 loanwords from Paleo-Laplandic likely exist. Many toponyms in Sápmi originate from Paleo-Laplandic. Because Sámi language etymologies for reindeers have preserved a large number of words from Paleo-Laplandic, this suggests that Paleo-Laplandic groups influenced Sámi culture.[2]

Due to irregular correspondences in Sámi loanwords from Paleo-Laplandic, it can be theorized that the words were borrowed from distinct but related languages that were characterized in the west by an s-type sibilant, while in the east it was an š-type sibilant.

Many words relating to the environment or reindeer such as ája ("spring") are likely loanwords from Paleo-Laplandic into Sámi.[3][4] The substrate words have no apparent parallels to any known language. Linguist Jurij Kuzmenko [de] compared them with the Pre-Germanic substrate words but found no similarities aside from a distinction between central and peripheral accentuation.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Weinstock, John (2018). Common Era Sápmi Language Replacement: Motivation and Mechanisms (Technical report). Austin, Texas: University of Texas. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.30925.33768.
  2. ^ Haarmann, Harald (2016). Modern Finland. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-1-4766-2565-2.
  3. ^ Aikio, Ante (2012). "An Essay on Saami Ethnolinguistic Prehistory" (PDF). Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia/Mémoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne. Helsinki (266): 63–117.
  4. ^ Aikio, Ante (2004). "An Essay on Substrate Studies and the Origin of Saami". In Irma Hyvärinen; Petri Kallio; Jarmo Korhonen (eds.). Etymologie, Entlehnungen und Entwicklungen: Festschrift für Jorma Koivulehto zum 70. Geburtstag. Mémoires de la Société Néophilologique de Helsinki. Vol. 63. Helsinki. pp. 5–34 – via www.academia.edu.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Kuzmenko, Jurij K. (2008). Der samische Einfluss auf die skandinavischen Sprachen: Ein Beitrag zur skandinavischen Sprachgeschichte [The Sami Influence on the Scandinavian Languages: A Contribution to the History of the Scandinavian Language] (in German) (1 ed.). Berlin: Humboldt-Universität zu Bln Nordeuropa Inst. ISBN 978-3-932406-25-6. OCLC 244629279.
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