FINNISH: a language of Finland

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: FIN

ISO 639-1: fi

ISO 639-2: fin

Population	4,700,000 in Finland, 93.5% of population (1993), including 30,000 speakers of Tornedalen Finnish. Population total all countries 6,000,000 (1999 WA).
Region	Also spoken in Canada, Estonia, Norway, Russia (Europe), Sweden, USA.
Alternate names	SUOMI, SUOMEA
Dialects	SOUTHWESTERN FINNISH, HÄME (TAVAST), SOUTH POHJANMAA, CENTRAL AND NORTH POHJANMAA, PERÄPOHJA, SAVO (SAVOLAX), SOUTHEASTERN FINNISH (FINNISH KARJALA, FINNISH KARELIAN).
Classification	Uralic, Finno-Ugric, Finno-Permic, Finno-Cheremisic, Finno-Mordvinic, Finno-Lappic, Baltic-Finnic, Finnic.
Comments	Southeastern dialects called 'Karelian' in colloquial Finnish are distinct from true Karelian (T. Salminen). Finnish is closely related to Karelian and Olonetsian. About 300,000 are bilingual in Swedish. National language. Grammar. SVO. Christian. Bible 1642-1991.

Also spoken in:

Russia (Europe)

Language name	FINNISH
Population	31,570 speakers out of 77,000 in the ethnic group in Russia (1979 census). 41% speak it as mother tongue.
Comments	Eastern dialects merge gradually into Karelian. Bilingualism in Russian. Christian. Bible 1642-1991. See main entry under Finland.

Sweden

Language name	FINNISH
Population	200,000 in Sweden (1997 Birger Winsa). 'Swedish-Finns' were 446,134 in 1999, which counts those born in Finland and first generation born in Sweden, but not others, even if the mother tongue is Finnish.
Alternate names	SUOMI, SUOMEA
Comments	1st to 3rd generation immigrants, apart from speakers of Tornedalen Finnish. Christian. Bible 1642-1991. See main entry under Finland.