Search results

Résumé L'environnement physique imprime sa marque sur les cultures. La subsistance et la survie dans les régions arctiques et subarctiques font de la connaissance de la qualité de la neige et de la glace une nécessité absolue. Le vocabulaire relatif à la neige et à la glace en sâme du nord, langue parlée dans les régions septentrionales de Norvège, de Suède et de Finlande, concerne essentiellement l'état physique des différentes couches de glace et de neige. Le sens des termes employés évoque également la réaction aux changements de temps et de température. La qualité et la quantité de neige, estimées en fonction des besoins pratiques des êtres humains et des animaux, sont également fondamentales. C'est ce que montre l'auteur à partir des mots concernant l'état de la neige et les couches de neige, les besoins en matière de transport et de pâturage pour les rennes ou encore les divers types de traces dans la neige. Tous ces termes sont des noms. Grâce aux divers procédés de dérivation, on pourrait sans peine obtenir près d'un millier de lexèmes – noms, verbes et adjectifs – pour désigner la neige, la glace, le gel et la fonte. L'analyse de ce vocabulaire nous apprendrait sans doute beaucoup sur l'état de la neige et de la glace dans l'Arctique et sur les conditions de vie des animaux et des êtres humains.

The physical environment leaves its mark on cultures. Knowledge of snow and ice conditions has been a necessity for subsistence and survival in the Arctic and sub‐Arctic areas. Snow and ice terminology in the North Saami language, which is spoken in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, is based on the physical condition of different kind of layers of ice and snow. In addition, the relation to changes of weather and temperature conditions is often integrated in the terminology. Very basic in the meanings is also the quality and quantity of snow, judged according to the practical needs of people and animals. The author demonstrates this by explaining the terminology for conditions and layers of snow, terms based on the transportation and pasture needs of reindeer and those based on different kind of tracks in the snow. These are all nouns. With different kinds of derivations, the number of nouns, verbs and adjectives denoting snow, ice, freezing, and melting may easily amount to 1,000 lexemes. By analysing this kind of terminology, we can learn much about snow and ice conditions in the Arctic and living conditions for animals and human beings.

The physical environment leaves its mark on cultures. Knowledge of snow and ice conditions has been a necessity for subsistence and survival in the Arctic and sub-Arctic areas. Snow and ice terminology in the North Saami language, which is spoken in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, is based on the physical condition of different kind of layers of ice and snow. In addition, the relation to changes of weather and temperature conditions is often integrated in the terminology. Very basic in the meanings is also the quality and quantity of snow, judged according to the practical needs of people and animals. The author demonstrates this by explaining the terminology for conditions and layers of snow, terms based on the transportation and pasture needs of reindeer and those based on different kind of tracks in the snow. These are all nouns. With different kinds of derivations, the number of nouns, verbs and adjectives denoting snow, ice, freezing, and melting may easily amount to 1,000 lexemes. By analysing this kind of terminology, we can learn much about snow and ice conditions in the Arctic and living conditions for animals and man beings. Adapted from the source document.