Phinnoi

Phinnoi (Φιννοι) were one of the people living in Scandinavia (Scandia), mentioned by a Greek scientist Ptolemy in his Geographia around 150 CE. Ptolemy mentions them twice, but provides no other information on them.[1]

Today, Phinnoi are most commonly seen as the forefathers of the Sami people, who inhabited most of the Scandinavian peninsula in the times of Ptolemy. The name seems to have been a form of the Germanic word finn, an old common nominator for Finns and the Sami people, both speakers of Uralic languages.

References

  1. See Ptolemy's Geog. II.II.XI.16. According to Ptolemy, the seven tribes of Scandia were: Chaidenoi, Phavonai, Phiraisoi, Phinnoi, Goutai, Daukiones and Leuonoi.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.