Ortnamnen i Arjeplog/Árjepluovve – en berättelse om landskapet och folket

Abstract

This is a study of the place names in the district of Arjeplog/Árjepluovve in Swedish Lapland. The studied area goes from the deep woods around Ábrávrre/Ábrávvre in the east, over the big lakes in the central part of Arjeplog/Árjepluovve to the mountain area in the west. In this area, most of the place names are in Sámi, and reindeer-herding is common. Place names give us knowledge, they tell us about the local history, the local language, the character of the nature and about the local living circumstances. When analyzing place names, a picture of the landscape and their inhabitants becomes visible. This study shows that the culture-landscape of Arjeplog/Árjepluovve can be understood through the place names. The method used is the analysis of the place names on the map BD12, found at www.lantmateriet.se, in addition to the names received through interviews with local Sámi research participants and from older archives and literature. My purpose is to get an understanding of the knowledge behind the place names, highlight place names as a historical source, and of the Sámi people as the Indigenous people of this land. This is a guide for trackers, researchers, local inhabitants and all other interested people!