Etymograph

English

Sami

Sami comes from Northern Sami Sápmi, and goes back to Proto-Samic *sāmē.

  1. Proto-Samicprehistoric (reconstructed)*sāmēreconstructed
  2. Northern SamimodernSápmi
  3. EnglishtodaySami

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Samicprehistoric (reconstructed)*sāmēreconstructed
  2. Northern SamimodernSápmi
  3. EnglishtodaySami

The story

From Northern Sami Sápmi, from one of the Sami languages, of uncertain origin/meaning, but possibly related to Proto-Balto-Slavic *źémijāˀ (‘land’).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Every English word from Proto-Samic *sāmē

Another origin of Sami

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentسَمَاsamā‘to be high, to be exalted’
  2. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentسَامٍsāmin‘high, exalted’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentسَامِيsāmīinformal pronunciation of سَامٍ
  4. EnglishtodaySami

Another origin of Sami

  1. Tamilmodernசாமி
  2. EnglishtodaySami

Today it means

noun A member of an indigenous Finno-Ugric people of Lapland.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Samic *sāmē / Sami

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