Meänkieli

Meänkieli, also known as Tornedalian Finnish or Meän kieli, is a Finnic language spoken in the Tornedalen (Torne Valley) along the Sweden–Finland border. The majority of speakers live in Sweden, particularly in Norrbotten County, with smaller communities in Finland’s Torne Valley. It is part of the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family and is closely related to Finnish, though it has developed distinct characteristics and its own standardized written form.

Meänkieli is often described as a separate language rather than a mere Finnish dialect, due in part to a long-standing standard of writing and its use in media and education. It has borrowed vocabulary and syntax from Swedish because of bilingual contact in the region, contributing to its unique profile.

Historically, Meänkieli emerged from Finnish-speaking settlers who moved into the Tornedalen area from the 16th century onward, in a region that became part of Sweden. The language has since faced pressures from dominant languages but has retained a distinctive community identity.

In Sweden, Meänkieli is recognized as a national minority language under international and national protection frameworks, with support for its use in public life, education, cultural activities, and media. There are efforts to promote literacy and publishing in Meänkieli and to maintain bilingual transmission.

The number of speakers is uncertain but consists of a few tens of thousands, with many bilingual in Swedish. Meänkieli has a standardized orthography used in literature and school materials, while regional dialects remain.