Laplanders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Indigenous people native to the northern parts of Scandinavia, particularly Finland, Sweden, and Norway, traditionally known for reindeer herding and a distinct cultural heritage
2. A group of native inhabitants from the Arctic region of Fennoscandia, recognized for their unique language, customs, and livelihood centered around reindeer and natural resources
3. Ethnic community residing in the northernmost areas of Northern Europe, characterized by their traditional nomadic lifestyle involving reindeer herding and a distinct cultural and linguistic identity

Etymology: "Laplanders" is the plural of "Laplander", and the form is a plain English construction: "Lapland" (the region) with the suffix "-er" added to name the people who live there, the same pattern as "Icelander" or "New Englander". The name is older than the word that formed it. "Lapland" is the English name for the region spanning northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and it is that place name that the people took their label from rather than the reverse. The people themselves call themselves Sámi, and many consider "Lapp" and "Laplander" pejorative, since the names were tied to the idea of the land as a backward periphery. The term is still used in older English writing and in some fixed names, but "Sámi" is the preferred designation in most modern contexts.

Synonyms: sami, saami