Re: Non-IE elements in Scandinavian

From: John Croft
Message: 3827
Date: 2000-09-18

For those interested in Non-IE elements in Scandinavia have a look at
the abstract of

http://www.algonet.se/~elert/SVH4V2FG.html

For a Finnish? paper on the same subject have a look at

http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/lammi.html

Based upon Cavalli-Sforza's clear destinction between Saami and other
Finno-Ugric speakers there seems to be a re-evaluation of the Saami's
place within the Finno-Ugric and/or Uralic family. This has led to a
realisation that the earliest found pit-traps (about 6,000 years ago)
are before the appearance of Finno-Ugric languages in surrounding
groups, and the relatively late introduction of reindeer herding,
together with an emphasis of Uralic features over time, suggests that
the non-Uralic features of Saami may be the remains of a substrate
language.

Culturally seetlement of the Saami area seems to have moved up the
west coast of Norway from Mesolithic cultures located to the South
who
were non Uralic (There is not much evidence of Uralic in Germanic, so
it is unlikely that Germanic substrate was Uralic).

Considering the sensitive nature of the Saami, Norwegian and Finnish
"nationalisms" the issue of Saami research is currently a bit of a
"hot potato".

Regards

John