4 The South Saami as endangered language

All the Saami languages are considered endangered, critically endangered or virtually extinct languages.

A generation or two ago, 10 Saami languages were spoken in Fennoscandia, but today, two of the variants, Ume Saami and Pite Saami are considered extinct in Norway. Now only South Saami, Lule Saami and North Saami are left. Of these, only North Saami is considered to be safe, estimated to about 20.000 speakers in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Lule Saami population is much smaller, about 1500 speakers in Sweden and Norway. The South Saami group is smaller still, it is commonly considered to be roughly 5-600 South Saami speaking individuals in Norway, and about the same number in Sweden.

Today, the interest, use and visibility of the South Saami language is growing. What used to be considered shameful by many, is now a source of pride for most of the South Saami speakers. A heightened consciousness about the cultural value of the language within the South Saami community is paired with a recognition and appraisal of the Saami heritage within the Norwegian community. More youths choose to learn the language, even if it was not their language at home. More parents choose to speak Saami with their children, even if it might not have been one’s own mother tongue. And more parents choose a South Saami kindergarten or school for their children. There also is a rise in students wanting to get a higher education in South Saami language courses, but the offers are few and rare.