Reconstruction:Proto-Samic/sāmē

This Proto-Samic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Samic

Etymology

From earlier *sämä. Ultimately of uncertain origin/meaning, but cognate with Proto-Finnic *soomi (see for more).

Noun

*sāmē

1. Sami person

Inflection

Even
Nominative	*sāmē
Genitive	*sām̯ēn
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*sāmē	*sām̯ēk
Accusative	*sām̯ēm	*sām̯ijtē
Partitive	*sāmētē
Genitive	*sām̯ēn	*sām̯ij
Essive	*sāmēnē	*sām̯ijnē
Inessive	*sām̯ēsnē
Elative	*sām̯ēstē	*sām̯ijstē
Illative	*sāmās̯ën	—
Comitative	*sām̯ijnē *sām̯ijnë	—
Abessive	*sām̯ēptāk̯ëk	—

Derived terms

• *sāmēlāńčë

Descendants

• Western Samic:
  • Southern Sami: saemie
  • Ume Sami: sábmie
  • Pite Sami: sábme
  • Lule Sami: sábme, Sábme
  • Northern Sami: sápmi, Sápmi
• Eastern Samic:
  • Inari Sami: säämi, Säämi
  • Skolt Sami: sääʹmm
  • Akkala Sami: са̄мь (sām’)
  • Kildin Sami: са̄ммь (sāmm’)
  • Ter Sami: samme
• →? Proto-Finnic: *hämä (“Tavastian”)

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[1], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland