indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Region
Other Forms FormsSäämi (Inari Sami), Sámeednam (Lule Sami), Sábme (Lule Sami), Sääʹmjânnam (Skolt Sami), Saepmie (Southern Sami), Sábmie (Ume Sami)
Meaning & History
Perhaps ultimately derived from Proto-Balto-Slavic *źemē meaning "earth". Suomi, the Finnish name for Finland, is believed to be derived from the same root. Sápmi is a cultural region in the northern parts of the Scandinavian and Kola peninsulas inhabited by the Sámi people. Note that Sápmi is the Northern Sami word for this region. See "other forms" above for the name in other Sami languages.