Mother Tongue Skolt Sámi key terms

The Skolt Sámi word for 'language' or 'tongue', used when naming the language itself and when talking about speech, translation, or someone's way of speaking.

The Skolt Sámi name of the Skolt Sámi language, literally 'Sámi language'. Candidates meet it in titles, self-identification texts, and official signage in the Sámi homeland.

A Sámi person; also used as the modifier 'Sámi' in compounds such as sääʹmǩiõll and sääʹmvuuʹd. It signals ethnic identity rather than citizenship of a state.

Reindeer herding, the traditional livelihood of many Skolt Sámi families. Texts on this topic use vocabulary for herds, grazing rotation, snow conditions, and predators.

A reindeer herd or group of reindeer kept together. Counting and describing animals by age, sex, and marking is a recurring reading-comprehension topic in Skolt Sámi materials.

A reindeer, the central animal of Skolt Sámi daily life and folklore. Short texts often describe its migration, its use in transport, and its role in seasonal work.

To translate, or to change speech or writing from one language into another. Listening and writing tasks sometimes ask the candidate to render a short message between Skolt Sámi and the majority language.

A task, assignment, or exercise set by a teacher or printed in a textbook. Exam instructions use the word to introduce each section the candidate must complete.

A written text, document, or piece of writing. Reading comprehension items refer to 'the text' with this word, and writing tasks may ask for a short ceälkk on a given topic.

To read. The verb appears in exam rubrics such as 'read the text and answer the questions', and in everyday phrases about reading aloud, reading newspapers, or reading to children.

To hear or to listen. Listening comprehension instructions rely on this verb, and it also occurs in expressions about obeying, paying attention, and being able to hear something.

A voice or a sound. Listening passages may describe a person's voice, the sound of an animal, or noise from weather, and questions may ask who is speaking.

To ask, or to inquire. Dialogues in listening sections and polite written messages both use it, often together with a question word or a request for information.

To answer or reply. It appears in instructions for both oral and written tasks and in natural dialogue where one person responds to a question or a letter.

To request, ask for, or invite. It differs from merely asking a question: it carries the idea of seeking something from someone, as in asking for help or inviting a guest.

A story or tale, including traditional oral narratives. Reading passages may present a short folk story, and candidates are asked about characters, events, and the order in which things happen.

To remember or to recall. It is used in texts about tradition, place names, and family history, and in exam instructions telling candidates what to keep in mind while writing.

A narrative or account of events, whether spoken or written. It helps distinguish a report of what happened from a description, a list, or an opinion piece.

A search or inquiry, and by extension a question or matter being looked into. News and administrative texts use it for investigations, requests for information, and official queries.

Knowledge, information, or a piece of news. It appears in phrases about getting, giving, and sharing information, and in headlines announcing announcements or notices.

To know a fact or to know how to do something. The distinction between knowing a fact and knowing a person is important, and exam grammar items often test which verb fits.

To know or recognize a person, place, or thing. It contrasts with knowing facts and is tested in sentences about meeting someone again or recognizing a familiar landscape.

A community, association, or society, such as a reindeer-herding cooperative or a cultural organization. Administrative reading texts describe how such bodies are organized and what they decide.

A traditional Sámi local community or winter settlement, historically organized around shared land and livelihoods. Texts on Skolt history and land use explain how a siida functioned and changed.

To swallow or to gulp down, used literally about food and drink. It belongs to the everyday verb vocabulary that listening dialogues about meals and health may contain.

Good, fine, or well. A high-frequency evaluative word used in greetings, wishes, and opinions, and a common building block in comparative and descriptive sentences.

To be born, to arise, or to come into being. It appears in biographical texts, in descriptions of seasons and weather, and in explanations of how a problem or idea started.

A translation, or the act of turning text into another language. Writing tasks may ask for a short translation, and reading tasks may compare an original with a rendered version.

A book. It occurs in library and school contexts, in reading logs, and in phrases about borrowing, returning, and reading a book from cover to cover.

A school. Listening and reading passages about daily life, timetables, and language learning are often set here, and vocabulary for subjects, teachers, and pupils follows from it.

A day, used in dates, greetings, and schedules. It is a core time word for arranging meetings and for understanding when an event in a listening passage takes place.

Winter, the season central to reindeer work, travel, and much Skolt Sámi vocabulary. Reading texts describe snow, ice, darkness, and the activities tied to this season.

A letter or written character, and also a letter sent by post. Context decides the meaning, so candidates must read the surrounding sentence carefully in vocabulary items.

A word, or speech in the sense of something said. It appears in vocabulary questions about meaning, in phrases about keeping one's word, and in descriptions of how someone speaks.

A comparison, or the act of comparing. Grammar and reading items ask candidates to notice how forms change when two things are set side by side, such as size, age, or speed.

Skill, craft, or practical ability acquired through practice. Texts about traditional livelihoods and education use it for handwork, hunting knowledge, and language proficiency.

A mood or state of mind, and in grammar the mode of a verb. Grammar items ask candidates to choose the right verb form for statements, wishes, and conditions.

Time or a point in time. It anchors tenses and scheduling language, and listening tasks often require noting when something happened or how long it lasted.

A leaf, and a common nature word in seasonal descriptions. Reading passages about autumn, plants, and the landscape use it alongside words for trees, berries, and weather.