Sámi place names dominate the Swedish mountain range from Treriksröst and down to northern Jämtland. Today, the previously names made into Swedish on the mountain map are being replaced with the original Sámi spelling.
All place names have come about from a practical function. People have needed to identify and localize topographical premises or objects. The name contains words that characterise the place, tell about events in a certain point in time, state the settler’s name, or such.
In the Sámi place names, words that are specific to the Sámi conditions in the mountains, e.g. several words for mountain with different contents: cohkka (tjåkka) means mountain, gaisi (kaise) means steep high mountain, and oaivi (åive) means in main format mountain. Many words in Sámi cannot be translated with a Swedish word, but rather an entire expression, making the word impossible to translate with one word.
Summarised and simplified pronunciation rules
| á = |
English a in hat with long pronunciation |
| o = |
oa in coat |
| u = |
oo in zoo |
|
c, z = |
ts in pets |
| c, ž = |
tch in catch |
|
š = |
sh in crush |
In diphthong, both letters in ea, ie, oa och uo are pronounced.
Usual Sámi terrain words
They can be spelled in different ways depending on the dialectal relation in the area. Here are stated the most occurring.
| vággi, vagge |
valley, u-shaped valley |
| suolu, suolo |
island, islet |
| skáldi, skaite |
spit of land between two watercourses that meet |
| savvun, savon |
smooth, calm water |
| sáiva, salva |
lake |
| riehppi, rieppe difficult to access |
valley bay, often with glacier |
| oaivi, åive |
main format mountain |
| njunni, njunnje |
spur |
| njárga, njarka |
cape |
| luspi, luspe |
place where a small river runs out from a lake, flowing out |
| luoppal |
small lake runs through a river |
| luokta |
bay |
| láhku, lako |
highly located vast mountain moor |
| johka, jåkkå |
brook, stream |
| jietnja, jiekna |
ice, glacier |
| jeaggi, jägge |
bog |
| jávrras, jauratj |
small lake |
| jávri, jaure |
sjö |
| gorsa, kårså |
ravine, narrow valley |
| gáisi, kaise |
steep high mountain |
| eatnu, ätno |
river, stream |
| corru, tjärro |
ridge |
| cohkka, tjåkkå |
mountain, peak |
| coalmi, tjålme |
strait |
| bákti, pakte |
steep rockface |
| áhpi, ape |
large bog, bog landscape |
| varaš, varatj |
small mountain |
| várdu, vardo |
low mountain with viewing summit |
| varri, vare |
rock, mountain |
Some of the more common position noting adjectives
| ailip, alep |
westerly, higher |
| allmus, alem us |
furthest west, highest |
| lulip, lulep |
easterly |
| lulimus, lulemus |
furthest east |
| bajip, pajep |
upper, higher |
| bajimus, pajemus |
uppermost, highest |
| vuolip, vuolep |
lower |