Languages of Finland
See language map.Republic of Finland, Suomen Tasavalta. 5,246,000. National or official languages: Finnish, Swedish. Literacy rate: 100%. Immigrant languages: English (4,500), Northern Kurdish (1,290), Polish, Romanian (1,000), Russian (31,000), Somali (3,100), Spanish, Standard German, Tatar (800), Turkish (1,000), Vietnamese. Also includes Arabic, Chinese. Information mainly from B. Comrie 1987; M. Stephens 1976; T. Salminen 1987–1998. Blind population: 3,345. Deaf population: 8,000 to 307,333 (VanCleve 1986). Deaf institutions: 44. The number of individual languages listed for Finland is 12. Of those, all are living languages.
| Estonian | [est]
6,000 in Finland (1993). South coast.
Alternate names: Eesti, Viro.
Dialects: Tallinn (Reval, Northern Estonian), Tartu (Dorpat, Tatu, Southern Estonian), Setu, Muly (Mulgi), Vyrus (Voru).
Classification: Uralic, Finnic
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| Finland-Swedish Sign Language | [fss]
150 (2001).
Alternate names: FinSSL, Suomenruotsalainen Viittomakieli, Finlandssvenskt Teckenspråk.
Classification: Deaf sign language
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| Finnish | [fin]
4,700,000 in Finland (1993). 30,000 speakers of Tornedalen Finnish. Population total all countries: 5,009,390. Also in Canada, Estonia, Norway, Russian Federation (Europe), Sweden, United States.
Alternate names: Suomea, Suomi.
Dialects: Southwestern Finnish, Häme (Tavast), South Pohjanmaa, Central and North Pohjanmaa, Peräpohja, Savo (Savolax), Southeastern Finnish (Finnish Karjala, Finnish Karelian). Southeastern dialects called ‘Karelian’ in colloquial Finnish are distinct from true Karelian [krl] (T. Salminen). Finnish is closely related to Karelian [krl] and Livvi [olo]. In the Russian Federation eastern dialects merge gradually into Karelian.
Classification: Uralic, Finnic
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| Finnish Sign Language | [fse]
5,000 (Van Cleve 1986). Ethnic population: 8,000.
Alternate names: Viittomakieli.
Dialects: 2 major dialects from the Finnish (17 schools) and Swedish (1 school) communities. Apparent influence from Swedish Sign Language [swl] merged with local indigenous varieties. Not intelligible with Danish Sign Language [dsl].
Classification: Deaf sign language
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| Finnish, Tornedalen | [fit]
30,000 in Finland (1997 B. Winsa).
Classification: Uralic, Finnic
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| Karelian | [krl]
10,000 in Finland (1994). Oulu Province, Russian border area, Northern Karelian; Southern Karelian scattered.
Alternate names: Karelian Proper, Karely.
Dialects: Northern Karelian, Southern Karelian, Norgorod, Tver (Kalinin).
Classification: Uralic, Finnic
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| Livvi | [olo]
5,170 in Finland (2000). Ethnic population: 140,000. Scattered.
Alternate names: Aunus, Livvikovian, Olonets, Olonetsian.
Classification: Uralic, Finnic
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| Romani, Kalo Finnish | [rmf]
10,000 in Finland (2001 census). Population total all countries: 11,590. West and south. Also in Sweden.
Alternate names: Fíntika Rómma, Gypsy.
Dialects: Not inherently intelligible with Tavringer Romani [rmu], Traveller Norwegian [rmg], Traveller Danish [rmd], or Angloromani [rme].
Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern
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| Saami, Inari | [smn]
300 (2001 census). 4,700 all Saami in Finland (1995). Ethnic population: 700 (1995 M. Krauss). Lapland, above 68.00N lattitude, between Lake Inari and Norway border, mostly Utsjoki border town area.
Alternate names: Anar, “Finnish Lapp” , “Inari Lappish” , “Lapp” , Saam, Saame, Sámi, Samic.
Classification: Uralic, Sami, Eastern
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| Saami, North | [sme]
1,700 in Finland (2001 census). Ethnic population: 3,500 (1995 M. Krauss). Utsjoki, Enontekio, and Sodankyla.
Alternate names: Davvin, “Lapp” , Northern Lapp, Saame, Same.
Dialects: Ruija, Torne, Sea Lappish.
Classification: Uralic, Sami, Western, Northern
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| Saami, Skolt | [sms]
400 in Finland (2001 census). Population total all countries: 420. Ethnic population: 500 in Finland (1995 M. Krauss). Northwest of Inari Saami. Also in Russian Federation (Europe).
Alternate names: Kolta, Koltta, “Lapp” , Lopar, Russian Lapp, Saame, Same, Skolt Lappish.
Classification: Uralic, Sami, Eastern
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| Swedish | [swe]
296,000 in Finland (1997). Coasts of provinces of Central Österbotten (Ostrobothnia), Vasa (Vaasa), Southwest Finland, Nyland (Uusimaa) (Helsingfors), Åland Islands, Kymenlaakso.
Dialects: Standard Swedish, Österbotten (Ostrobothnian), Åland Islands Swedish, Southwest Finland Swedish, Uusimaa Swedish, Nyland Swedish.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, North, East Scandinavian, Danish-Swedish, Swedish
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