The compass is laid out on the map of the Padjelanta Trail with all its beautiful but tongue-twisting names, such as Sjnjuvtjudis, Njierek, and Gievgessuoloj. What do these Lule Sami names mean, and is it possible to interpret the nature solely through them?
To fully understand the Sami place names, one might need to be a professor in Sami languages, or something close to it, to keep track of all the meanings of North, Lule, Ume, and South Sami words. However, it is still possible to learn some commonly recurring words that can give a small hint about what lies behind the next bend.
We start in Váisáluokta in the north, where the Padjelanta Trail begins or ends, depending on how you look at it. Here lies a Sami settlement of the same name, but you’ll probably never hear anyone staying there say anything other than Váisá. Perhaps the explanation is that the word luokta means “bay,” and since no one has their reindeer herder’s cabin in the bay but on dry land, the addition of luokta isn’t worth mentioning. The same applies to places like Staloluokta and Saltoluokta, which are therefore simply called Stalo and Salto.
If you start your hike in Änonjalmme, it might be interesting to know that njalmme means river mouth, which is exactly the case. From here, the river Vuojatädno flows out from Áhkajávvre, which is actually a 60-kilometer-long reservoir upstream from the Suorva dam and the Vietas power plant. Originally, there were five large lakes here, one of which was Áhkajávvre, named after the mighty mountain massif Áhkka. The word Áhkka means old woman, married woman, or wife, and has a mythological connection. But to complicate matters, there’s an adjective with the same spelling that suddenly means “richly grown with grass,” so you can never be entirely certain. The word jávrre you’ve probably already figured out means lake.
There are several variants to describe a lake. Jaure/jávrre, ávrre or haure/hávrre. The latter word is used for larger lakes, for example Virihaure, which is the area’s largest and, according to many, also the most beautiful. Lake Kutjaure/Guvtjávrre is a somewhat smaller lake whose name signals that trout likely can be found here. A luoppal, however, is a smaller pond or some type of calm water in a stream.
Back to the river Vuojatädno that flows from Áhkkajávvre. Ädno means river while Vuojat describes a swimming spot for reindeer.
On the western side of the Padjelanta Trail are the mountains Boainotjåhkkå and Gasskastjåhkkå. Tjåhkkå means mountain peak, which is easy to confuse with jåhkå, meaning stream. Jågåsj, however, is a small stream. Gårttje is a waterfall and gårsså a deep stream ravine. The word gasskas refers to the place between something, two mountains or two lakes for example.
Mountains can also have different designations. Besides tjåhkkå, which denotes a prominent mountain peak, the words vare/várre mean mountain or fell, and the word oajve indicates a main mountain with a round contour. A gájsse is, however, a pointed steep mountain peak and várásj a small mountain. The completely unpronounceable name Sjnjuvtjudis – please ask a local to pronounce it, listen, and then forget the spelling – is a descriptive name for an elongated peak with an abrupt end to the east. Nulppe is a treeless rocky knoll while huornnasj is a side mountain in relation to a higher one. Finally, njunjes is a protruding mountain or fell spur. Did you follow all that?
Some other words that might be good to know are giedde, which is a natural meadow or grazing ground, and ára which describes boulder terrain. If the word gieve is included in the name, you can expect marshland and quagmire, and if the word måskásj appears, you might be heading into a dead-end valley.
As you’ve probably already understood, Sami place names describing nature and settlements are a jungle, but an exciting one. Consider this attempt to clarify or complicate the concepts as a taste of what you can discover yourself if you dive deep into the Sami place names on your own. Here, the book “Samiska ortnamn vid vägar och färdleder i Lule lappmark” by Olavi Korhonen and Hans Anderson is a little goldmine.
Meanwhile, keep your eyes open on your journey and compare what you see with the map names along your way on the Padjelanta Trail.
Enjoy!
Text: Iréne Lundström