Western Saami languages
Läntiset saamelaiskielet
Western Saami languages
Western Saami languages consist of North Saami and the languages spoken to the west of it (Lule Saami, Ume Sami, Pite Saami, South Saami language). The major features that distinguish the western languages from the eastern Saami languages are the following sound changes: In the western Saami languages the original clusters šk and št have changed to i(h)k and i(h)t (cf. SaaN guoika 'rapid' ~ SaaIn kuoška id.) and the Proto-Saami (non-short) nasals have received a homorganic prothetic stop i.e. they are now preceded by a stop pronounced in the same place in the mouth as the original nasal (cf. SaaN suotna 'vein' ~ SaaSk suõnn id., SaaN jápmit 'to die' ~ SaaSk jääˊmmed id.). The eastern Saami languages have an innovation that lacks in the west, i.e. sibilants between two vowels undergo qualitative consonant gradation while they in the west undergo only quantitative gradation, if any (cf. SaaN bassat 'to wash': basan 'I wash' ~ SaaSk põõssâd : põõzzam id.
Table of contents: Languages and naming
