Notes to the Dual Form and the Nous-Concept

in the Inari Sami language

Joannes Richter

Abstract
Homer's Iliad contains two words, νόος (nous, → English: mind) and νῶϊ (“we two”), which seem
to be correlating with two corresponding English words wit (mind) respectively the obsolete dual
form of the English personal pronoun wit (“we two”)1.
In the Inari Sami language the personal pronouns have been equipped with a dual form for the first
person muoi “we (two)”, which in its concept correlates to the dual form in Old-Greek νῶϊ (“we
two”). Eventually this correlation may be extended to the Inari Sami language.
The filtered entries vuoi'ŋâ (Spirit) and vuoi'ŋâšeh (Brain) (in Language Inari Sami) may be
correlating to the Inari Sami dual form's “uoi”-core (“we two”) and simultaneously to the Old-
Greek words νόος (nous, → English: mind) and νῶϊ (“we two”).
Other Inari Sami words such as the words for Liver (vuoivâs), Correct (Right) (vuoi'gâ), Ahead
(vuoi'gist), Breathe (vuoi'ŋâđ) may also be considered as correlating to the prominent cores vuoi'ŋâ
(Spirit) and vuoi'ŋâšeh (Brain). These words might form a secondary set of core-words.
This paper documents the correlations between the Greek νόος- respectively nous- and νῶϊ-cores
and the Inari Sami vuoi- respectively muoi-core. Eventually the Old-Greek νόος/nous-concept may
be considered equivalent to the Inari Sami “vuoi”-concept.

1 Notes to the Philosophical “Nous”-Concept

A nous-concept for Greek, Germanic and Inari Sami languages
The “Nous”-Concept has been described in Notes to the Philosophical “Nous”-Concept.
The alternative word wit (mind) is written and spoken as the dual form of the pronoun wit (“we
two”), but nobody seems to discover the analogy between both English words nor the correlation to
the Greek translations νόος (nous) for wit (mind) respectively νῶϊ (“we two”) for wit (“we two”).
This “Nous”-Concept may be extended to three linguistic sectors.
Including the Inari Sami language the relations between the three European linguistic blocks
(Greek, Germanic and Inari Sami) may be symbolized by the following keywords:

Language Nous-Core Personal pronoun of the

1st person (dual form)
Old-Greek νόος (nous, mind) νῶϊ (“we two”)
English, representing Germanic wit (mind, nous) wit (“we two”)
languages (Dutch, Gothic, Frisian,
Norse, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic,...)
Inari Sami “vuoi” in muoi (“we two”)
vuoi'ŋâ (spirit)
vuoi'ŋâšeh (brain)
Table 1 The European Nous-concept (covering Greek, Germanic and Inari Sami)
The personal Pronouns in Inari Sami language
In Inari Sami language the personal pronouns have been equipped with a dual form for the first
person muoi “we (two)”, which in its concept correlates to the dual form in Old-Greek νῶϊ (“we
two”).
English nominative English genitive
First person (singular) I mun my muu
Second person (singular) you (thou) tun your, yours tuu
Third person (singular) he, she sun his, her suu
First person (dual) we (two) muoi our munnuu
Second person (dual) you (two) tuoi your tunnuu
Third person (dual) they (two) suoi theirs sunnuu
First person (plural) we mij our mii
Second person (plural) you tij your tii
Third person (plural) they sij their sii

Table 2 the personal pronouns in Inari Sami language

Obviously the duality of the words is based on the uoi-extension in muoi, tuoi, and suoi.
The uoi-extension may have been used for other forms of duality and also for correlations to the
nous -concept or to be more precise for the Old-Greek word νόος (nous, → English: mind).
In order to filter the relevant words I scanned the database for Inari Sami-words with a uoi-core.
Filtering the database for “uoi”-phrases

Filtering for “uoi”-phrases in the Orthographic form

The main database is found in Language Inari Sami2 with 1,158 total entries, in which the “uoi”-
phrases may be filtered in the Orthographic form as follows:

## Concept Orthographic form Generated IPA action

45 Brain vuoi'ŋâšeh vuoiŋɐʃeh validate
48 Liver vuoivâs vuoivɐs validate
72 Shade suoivâ suoivɐ validate
216 Longing tuoivâ tuoivɐ review
218 Spirit vuoi'ŋâ vuoiŋɐ validate
560 Correct (Right) vuoi'gâ vuoiɡɐ validate
611 Ahead vuoi'gist vuoiɡist validate
720 Chime čuoijâđ ttʃuoijɐð validate
721 Ring (Signal) čuoijâđ ttʃuoijɐð validate
735 Breathe vuoi'ŋâđ vuoiŋɐð validate
744 Rest vuoi'ŋâdâttâđ vuoiŋɐdɐtːɐð validate
749 Recover tuoi'buđ tuoibuð validate
768 Swim vuoijâđ vuoijɐð
Table 3 The *uoi-phrases in the Orthographic form of the Inari Sami database,
showing 1 to 13 of 13 entries (filtered from 1,158 total entries)

The *uoi-phrases cover a number of main mind-related words such as the Spirit, Correct (Right),
Brain, Liver , Breathe, Shade, etc.
However a few words such as 720 čuoijâđ (Chime), 721 čuoijâđ Ring (Signal), 749 tuoi'buđ
(Recover) and 216 tuoivâ (Longing) seem to be misplaced in this list. Therefore I adjusted the
search string to “vuoi”.

2 Based on Sammallahti and Morottaja 1993 - NorthEuraLex is edited by Johannes Dellert and Gerhard Jäger and is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This research has been
supported by the ERC Advanced Grant 324246 EVOLAEMP, which is gratefully acknowledged.
Filtering for “uoi”-phrases in the Generated IPA
The main database is found in Language Inari Sami3 with 1,158 total entries, in which the uoi-
phrase may be filtered in the Generated IPA as follows.
The uoi-phrases cover the same number of main mind-related words such as the Spirit, Correct
(Right), Brain, Liver, Breathe, Shade, etc., but also include three new entries labeled 45 Brain, 49
Breath and 242 Quiet.
The additional words do not really reveal new attributes, but we may use the following (longest) list
in which the three extra entries 45, 49, 242 have been left unmarked:

## Concept Orthographic form Generated IPA action

45 Brain vuoi'ŋâšeh vuoiŋɐʃeh validate
45 Brain vuo'ivâšneh vuoivɐʃneh validate
48 Liver vuoivâs vuoivɐs validate
49 Breath vuo'iŋâstim vuoiŋɐstim review
72 Shade suoivâ suoivɐ validate
216 Longing tuoivâ tuoivɐ review
218 Spirit vuoi'ŋâ vuoiŋɐ validate
242 Quiet vuo'iŋâstus vuoiŋɐstus validate
560 Correct (Right) vuoi'gâ vuoiɡɐ validate
611 Ahead vuoi'gist vuoiɡist validate
720 Chime čuoijâđ ttʃuoijɐð validate
721 Ring (Signal) čuoijâđ ttʃuoijɐð validate
735 Breathe vuoi'ŋâđ vuoiŋɐð validate
744 Rest vuoi'ŋâdâttâđ vuoiŋɐdɐtːɐð validate
749 Recover tuoi'buđ tuoibuð validate
768 Swim vuoijâđ vuoijɐð
Table 4 The vuoi-phrases in the Generated IPA of the Inari Sami database,
showing 1 to 16 of 16 entries (filtered from 1,158 total entries)

3 Based on Sammallahti and Morottaja 1993 - NorthEuraLex is edited by Johannes Dellert and Gerhard Jäger and is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This research has been
supported by the ERC Advanced Grant 324246 EVOLAEMP, which is gratefully acknowledged.
Filtering for “vuoi”-phrases in the database
The filtered entries vuoi'ŋâ (Spirit) and vuoi'ŋâšeh (Brain) (in Language Inari Sami) may be
correlating to the Inari Sami dual “uoi”-core (“we two”) and the Old-Greek words νόος (nous, →
English: mind) and νῶϊ (“we two”).
Other Inari Sami words such as the words for Liver (vuoivâs), Correct (Right) (vuoi'gâ), Ahead
(vuoi'gist), Breathe (vuoi'ŋâđ) may also be considered as correlating to the prominent cores vuoi'ŋâ
(Spirit) and vuoi'ŋâšeh (Brain). These words might form a secondary set of core-words.
The third category (labeled 744 Rest and 768 Swim respectively 242 Quiet) may belong to another
etymological category.
The sorting sequence has been defined by the database.

## Concept Orthographic form Generated IPA action

1 45 Brain vuoi'ŋâšeh vuoiŋɐʃeh validate
2 48 Liver vuoivâs vuoivɐs validate
3 218 Spirit vuoi'ŋâ vuoiŋɐ validate
4 560 Correct (Right) vuoi'gâ vuoiɡɐ validate
5 611 Ahead vuoi'gist vuoiɡist validate
6 735 Breathe vuoi'ŋâđ vuoiŋɐð validate
7 744 Rest vuoi'ŋâdâttâđ vuoiŋɐdɐtːɐð validate
8 768 Swim vuoijâđ vuoijɐð validate
Table 5 The vuoi-phrases in the Orthographic form of the Inari Sami database,
showing 1 to 8 of 8 entries (filtered from 1,158 total entries)

## Concept Orthographic form Generated IPA action

1 45 Brain vuoi'ŋâšeh vuoiŋɐʃeh validate
2 45 Brain vuo'ivâšneh vuoivɐʃneh validate
3 48 Liver vuoivâs vuoivɐs validate
4 49 Breath vuo'iŋâstim vuoiŋɐstim review
5 218 Spirit vuoi'ŋâ vuoiŋɐ validate
6 242 Quiet vuo'iŋâstus vuoiŋɐstus validate
7 560 Correct (Right) vuoi'gâ vuoiɡɐ validate
8 611 Ahead vuoi'gist vuoiɡist validate
9 735 Breathe vuoi'ŋâđ vuoiŋɐð validate
10 744 Rest vuoi'ŋâdâttâđ vuoiŋɐdɐtːɐð validate
11 768 Swim vuoijâđ vuoijɐð validate
Table 6 The vuoi-phrases in the Generated IPA of the Inari Sami database,
showing 1 to 11 of 11 entries (filtered from 1,158 total entries)
Etymological details
Both the words suoivâ (“shadow”) and puoidâ (“ermine” or “stoat”) belong to the uoi-category, but
not to the vuoi-category.

suoivâ (shadow)
I also found the word suoivâ (“shadow”) correlates to sun he; she and suu his; hers4:
• sun he; she
• suoivâ Shade, shadow
• suu his; hers

Originally the shadow may have been considered as “dual” form of image like the spirit of the
illuminated body.

puoidâ ermine (Mustela erminea); stoat (keessiv)

Another word (puoidâ) for the animal “ermine” or “stoat”, which I found in the minute vocabulary5,
also met the search uoi-specification but had not been listed in the database.
The ermine may have played a role in the mythological symbols or decorations of royal leaders.

4 Source: Kimberli Mäkäräinen A minute vocabulary (Inari Sámi-English) (233 words)

5 Source: Kimberli Mäkäräinen A minute vocabulary (Inari Sámi-English) (233 words)
Appendices
The appendices have been checked for relevant filtering candidates.

Appendix 1 - Numbers
The list numbers is from Re: Inaari Samit posted by Linguaphile » 2018-05-26, 18:05

0 nollá
1 ohtâ
2 kyehti
3 kulmâ
4 nelji
5 vittâ
6 kuttâ
7 čiččâm
8 käävci
9 oovce
10 love
11 ohtunubáloh
12 kyehtnubáloh
13 kulmânubáloh
20 kyehtlov
21 kyehtlovohtâ
22 kyehtlovkyehti
30 kulmâlov
31 kulmâlovohtâ
32 kulmâlovkyehti
40 neljilov
50 vittlov
60 kuttlov
70 čiččâmlov
80 kähcilov
90 ohcelov
100 čyeti
200 kyehtičyeđe
300 kulmâčyeđe
1000 tuhhát

Table 7: Dictionary – Numbers

from Re: Inaari Samit posted by Linguaphile » 2018-05-26, 18:05
Appendix 2 - Social relationships
mun I
tun you (2.sg.)

almai man

eeči father
enni mother
äijih grandfather
ákku grandmother
pâârnâš child
pärni (syn. kandâ) boy
nieidâ girl
nissoon woman
kálgu wife
nuorâ young

enni = mother
eeči = father
nieidâ = daughter
alge = kandâ = son
uábbi = sister
viljâ = brother
ákku = grandmother
äijih = grandfather
ákkuv = grandchild (of grandmother)
ááijuv = grandchild (of grandfather)
kuáski = aunt (mother's older sister)
muáđá = aunt (mother's younger sister)
siäsá = aunt (father's sister)
čeeci = uncle (father's younger brother)
eehi = uncle (father's older brother)
iänui = uncle (mother's brother)
uárbimpeeli = cousin (female)
viljâpeeli = cousin (male)
vuoppâ = father-in-law
vyene = mother-in-law
manje = daughter-in-law
vivvâ = son-in-law 6

6 Family words in Inari Sami - Re: Inaari Sami Posted by Linguaphile » 2018-08-01, 5:18
Appendix 3 – The names for the months
The paper ScriptSource - Entry - Names of Months and Days in Inari Sami7 describes the names of
the days and the months in Inari Sami:

Januar uđđâivemáánu (uđiv, U) uđđâihe (“new year”) + máánu (“month”).

Februar kuovâmáánu (kuovâ, K)
März njuhčâmáánu (njuhčâ, NJ) From njuhčâ (“swan”) + máánu (“month”).
April cuáŋuimáánu (cuáŋui, C) From cuáŋui + máánu.
May vyesimáánu (vyesi, V)
Juni kesimáánu (kesi, K)
Juli syeinimáánu (syeini, S)
August porgemáánu (porge, P)
September čohčâmáánu (čohčâ, Č) From čohčâ (“autumn”) + máánu (“month”).
Oktober roovvâdmáánu (roovvâd, R)
November skammâmáánu (skammâ, S)
Dezember juovlâmáánu (juovlâ, J)
Table 8 The names of the months in Saami

7 Distributed under the Terms of Use at www.unicode.org/copyright.html.

Appendix 4 – The names for the days of the week 8
• Tuesday is the 2nd day (Dijs- or Dis-day): SaaS. dajsta, SaaL. dijstak, SaaN. disdat;
• Thursday is the 4th day Thors-Tag) : daarsta, SaaL. duorastak, SaaN. duorastat, SaaI. Turastah

Explanation: (Source:) Words and Varieties - Lexical Variation

in Saami (2013) - (Håkan Rydving)
Sunday pasepeivi (pas, p) 1 = SaaS. aejlege, aejlegsbiejjie, SaaL. ajllek; 2 = SaaS. bissiebiejjie,
SaaN. bassi, SaaI. pasepeivi, SaaSk. pa´sspei´vv, SaaKld. pass’ pējjv;
3 = SaaL. Sadnabiejvve, SaaN. sotnabeaivi; 4 = SaaN.
vuoiŋŋastanbeaivi; 5 = Ter Saami [v'ɛssenne]. Etymologically, (1)
SaaS. aejlege, etc., is a Scandinavian loanword (cf. Swe. helig ‘sacred,
holy’), used in compounds with the word for ‘day’ (SaaS. biejjie) as
second element, whereas (2) SaaS. bissie, etc., is an inherited word
(cf. Fin. Pyha ‘sacred’; SSA 2: 448 f.). (3) SaaN. sotnabeaivi, etc.,
consists of SaaN. Sotna-, which is a Scandinavian loanword (cf.
OScand. sunnu- ‘sun’), and beaivi ‘day’ (SSA 2: 456). (4) SaaN.
vuoiŋŋastanbeaivi consists of SaaN. vuoiŋŋastan ‘resting’ (of
unknown etymology) and, once again, beaivi ‘day’, while finally (5)
[v'ɛssenne] is a shortened form of a Russian loanword (cf. Rus.
воскресенье ‘Sunday’) (cf. Maticsak 2004: 93 f.).
Monday vuossargâ (vuo, V) 1 = SaaS. maanoedahke, SaaL. mannodak, SaaN. mannodat;
2 = SaaN.vuossarga, vuostaš arga, SaaI. vuossarga, SaaSk. vuossargg,
SaaKld. vūsoarrk; (Monday; The first day)
3 Ter Saami [n'iettelālka].
Tuesday majebargâ (maj, M) 1 = SaaS. dajsta, SaaL. dijstak, SaaN. disdat;
2 = SaaN. Maŋŋebarga, SaaI. maajeebarga, SaaSk. maaibargg;
3 = SaaN. nubbarga, SaaKld. nymm’poarrk;
4 = Ter Saami ['ɛftɛrnɑhke]. maŋŋit ‘last, second (of two)’,
Finnish loanword arga ‘weekday’
Wednes- koskokko (kos, K) - 1 = SaaS. gaskevahkoe, SaaL. gasskavak, SaaN. gaskavahkku, SaaI.
day koskokko; 2 = SaaSk. searad, SaaKld. s’āred.
gaske ‘middle’ and vahkoe ‘week’
Thursday tuorâstâh (tuo, T) 1 = SaaS. daarsta, SaaL. duorastak, SaaN. duorastat, SaaI. Turastah;
2 = SaaSk. nelljdpei´vv, SaaKld. n’āl’jant p’ējjv; 3 = Ter Saami
[tʃ'itverij]. Scandinavian loanword (cf. Swe. Torsdag ‘id.’) ‘the fourth
day’
Friday vástuppeivi (vás, V) 1 = SaaS. bearjadahke, freadta, SaaL. bierjjedak, SaaN. Bearjadat; 2
= SaaSk. piatnoc, SaaKld. p’ētnehts’; 3 = SaaI. Vastuppeivi. cf. Icl.
fostudagur ‘id.’; Swe. fastedag ‘fasting day’
Saturday lávurdâh (láv, L) 1 = SaaS. lavvardaake, SaaL. lavvodak, SaaN. lavvordat, SaaI.
Lavardah; 2 = SaaSk. sue´vet, SaaKld. sūvv’ed˙.
lavvardaake, etc., from Scandinavian (cf. Swe. lordag ‘id.’)

Table 9 Days of the week in Saami

8 Source: Words and Varieties - Lexical Variation in Saami (2013) - Håkan Rydving
Appendix 5 - Parts of the body
Of the parts of the body in the list Re: Inaari Sami only vuoi'ŋâšeh = brain reveals the (v)uoi-
extension, which may be supposed as an equivalent to the Old-Greek concept of the nous.
The list in Re: Inaari Sami does not contain the entry #48 vuoivâs / vuoivɐs (Liver) in the database
Language Inari Sami which also contains the (v)uoi-extension. Both words may be considered the
center of the nous.
uáivi head
muáđuh face
vuoptâ hair
čalme eye
njune nose
njälmi mouth
poovsâ lip
njuovčâ tongue
pelji ear
čiäppát neck (front)
niske neck (back)
uálgi shoulder
uálgâtuáivi elbow
kietâ arm, hand
čuvđe and suormâ finger
pelgi thumb
selgi back
radde chest
njižže breast
čuávji stomach
jyelgi leg, foot
iidâ knee
liške skin
tekki muscle
váimu heart
vuoi'ŋâšeh brain

vuoivâs / vuoivɐs liver

Table 10 Parts of the body
from: Re: Inaari Sami documented Postby Linguaphile » 2018-06-20, 20:13
Appendix 6 - Colors
vielgâd = white
čuovjâd = blue
ruánáá = green
fiskâd = yellow
ooraans = orange
ruopsâd = red
ruškâd = brown
čappâd = black
ráánnás = grey
kuovgisruopsâd = pink
violet = purple

siilbâivnásâš = silver
koleivnásâš = gold

tevkisčuovjâd= light blue

kuovgisčuovjâd = dark blue 9

9 Source: Re: Inaari Sami by Linguaphile » 2018-06-15, 4:37

Contents
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................1
A nous-concept for Greek, Germanic and Inari Sami languages.........................................................2
The personal Pronouns in Inari Sami language ...................................................................................3
Filtering the database for “uoi”-phrases..............................................................................................4
Filtering for “uoi”-phrases in the Orthographic form.....................................................................4
Filtering for “uoi”-phrases in the Generated IPA............................................................................5
Filtering for “vuoi”-phrases in the database....................................................................................6
Etymological details.............................................................................................................................7
suoivâ (shadow)...............................................................................................................................7
puoidâ ermine (Mustela erminea); stoat (keessiv) ..........................................................................7
Appendices...........................................................................................................................................8
Appendix 1 - Numbers.....................................................................................................................8
Appendix 2 - Social relationships....................................................................................................9
Appendix 3 – The names for the months.......................................................................................10
Appendix 4 – The names for the days of the week........................................................................11
Appendix 5 - Parts of the body......................................................................................................12
Appendix 6 - Colors.......................................................................................................................13