in Sweden, Lyngen and Balsfjord in Norway Jukkasjärvi: Saarivuoma, Talma, Rautasvuoma and Kaalasvuoma in Sweden, Vågsfjord and Ofotfjord in Norway Kaitum: Norrkaitum and Mellanbyn in Sweden Sea Sámi The written language is primarily based on the western Finnmark dialects, with some elements from the eastern Finnmark dialects. Western Finnmark dialects Features of the western Finnmark dialects are: Merging of the velar nasals into the palatal nasals, except before a (plain or preaspirated) homorganic stop. Lengthening of short when the preceding syllable contains a short vowel and a quantity 1 or 2 consonant. This new long does not trigger consonant lengthening. Kautokeino: Merging of into . Kautokeino: Assibilation of into . Eastern Finnmark dialects The eastern Finnmark dialects have the following characteristics: Lengthening of stressed vowels before quantity 1 and 2 consonants. Shortening of the first element of quantity 3 consonants, merging them with quantity 2 consonants (unless the second element of the corresponding Q2 consonant is doubled, which keeps them distinct). Combined with the previous change, this causes Q3-Q2 gradation in Eastern Finnmark to become primarily about vowel length rather than consonant length. A distinction between and , the former spelled and reflecting Proto-Samic *ā, the latter spelled and reflecting Proto-Samic *ë. Fronting of to in unstressed syllables. Umlaut: fronting of vowels before a following front vowel in the second syllable (including produced by the previous change). is fronted to . is fronted to . is fronted to . is fronted to . Between vowels, lenition of to , and of to , which in modern speech becomes between a stressed vowel and a front vowel, and zero otherwise. Raising of the non-close diphthongs and . Along the lower Tana river, these merge entirely with standard and , resulting in and (when not fronted) or and (when fronted). Along the upper Tana, the non-close diphthongs are only raised before single and (original) geminate consonants, and they may or may not merge with original and . In dialects south of Tana bru, only fronted and are raised to and . Torne dialects Jukkasjärvi, Karesuando, Finnish Wedge: Loss of distinction between postalveolar and plain alveolar consonants, with the result being alveolar in Karesuando and postalveolar in the Finnish Wedge. Use of -n instead of -s in the locative singular. This originates from the old inessive case, whereas the standard ending is from the old elative case. Use of -o instead of -u