In between two Saami languages? Linguists’ and speakers’ views on the dialects of Jiellevárri and Unna tjerusj

Abstract

Linguists have, at various different times, categorized the variety of Saami spoken in Jiellevárri as both Lule Saami and North Saami. In this article, I examine the research history in general and how it presents different categorizations of Jiellevárri Saami, and more specifically, the question of how members of the Unna tjerusj community view their own language and identity. I ask if the members of Unna tjerusj consider themselves Lule Saami speakers, since, according to Saami language research, the area belongs to the Lule Saami speaking region. I have, through interviews, gathered and analyzed Unna tjerusj members’ views on their own linguistic identity. I argue, from a folk linguistic perspective, that it is also important to include the views of the speakers themselves in language research. My case study shows that members of the Unna tjerusj community do not consider themselves as Lule Saami speakers, nor indeed as Lule Saami. They use both linguistic and extra linguistic arguments when defining their linguistic identity. This implies that the views of the speakers themselves and those of the researchers are contradictory with regard to the variety of Saami spoken in Unna tjerusj.