Spatial interaction in Sámiland: Regulative and transitory chronotopes in the dynamic multilingual landscape of an indigenous Sámi village

Using the example of the linguistic landscape of an indigenous Sámi village in northern Scandinavia, this article explores multilingualism in public signs located in public spaces of the village. Based on long-standing ethnographic and discourse analytical research on multilingualism in the spaces and practices in the peripheral locality of Sámiland, I will focus on the temporal and spatial dimensions of the signs. In this, Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope is applied. Two chronotopes are identified and examined with regard to language change, mobility and multilingualism in public spaces. It is argued that linguistic landscapes often highlight spatial normativity and creativity, as well as local semiotic interventions, all embedded in historical, political and economic conditions.