Finnish, Tornedalen

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A language of Sweden

ISO 639-3
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Alternate Names
Meänkieli, North Finnish, Torne Valley Finnish, Tornedalsfinska
Population

30,000 in Sweden (Parkvall 2009). Total users in all countries: 60,000.

Location

Norrbotten county: Gällivare, Kiruna, Pajala, Övertorneå, and Haparanda municipalities.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing). Statutory provincial language in administrative area municipalities: Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala, Övertoneå (2009, NMNML Act No. 724, Art, 6).

Classification
Uralic, Finnic
Dialects

Torne Valley Finnish, Vittangi Finnish, Gällivare Finnish. Finnish [fin] not totally intelligible to speakers, especially abstract and complex discourse.

Typology

SVO; postpositions; genitives before noun heads; articles, adjectives, numerals before noun heads; question word initial.

Language Use

Mainly older adults. Positive attitudes. Also use Finnish [fin], Swedish [swe].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 20%–30%. Magazines. Grammar. Bible portions: 1993–1995. Agency: Swedish Tornedalian Association.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Finnish, Tornedalen
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Some speakers refer to it as Finnish. Influences from Swedish [swe]. Finnish speakers settled here 12th century. Christian.

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