▁der iving ▁from ▁a ▁common ▁Pro to - S ami - F inn ic ▁language ▁( M . ▁Kor h onen ▁ 1 9 8 1 ). ▁However , ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁any ▁basic ▁proto - l anguages ▁in ▁the ▁U ral ic ▁family ▁have ▁reached ▁a ▁level ▁close ▁to ▁or ▁identical ▁to ▁Pro to - U ral ic ▁( Sal min en ▁ 1 9 9 9 ). ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁compar ative ▁lingu ist ▁An te ▁A ik io , ▁the ▁Pro to - Sam ic ▁language ▁developed ▁in ▁South ▁Finland ▁or ▁in ▁K are lia ▁around ▁ 2 0 0 0 – 2 5 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁spread ing ▁then ▁to ▁northern ▁F enn osc and ia . ▁The ▁language ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁expanded ▁west ▁and ▁north ▁into ▁F enn osc and ia ▁during ▁the ▁Nord ic ▁Iron ▁Age , ▁reaching ▁central ▁Sc and in avia ▁during ▁the ▁Pro to - Sc and in av ian ▁period ▁ca . ▁ 5 0 0 ▁AD ▁( Ber gs land ▁ 1 9 9 6 ). ▁The ▁language ▁assim il ated ▁several ▁layers ▁of ▁unknown ▁Pale o - Europe an ▁languages ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁h unter - g ather ers , ▁first ▁during ▁the ▁Pro to - S ami ▁phase ▁and ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁subsequent ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁F enn osc and ia ▁that ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁modern ▁Sam i ▁today . ▁( A ik io ▁ 2 0 0 4