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Leif Rantala

1947 – 2015

Finnish linguist

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About Leif Rantala

Lived 1947 – 2015 (aged 67). Leif Rantala was a Finnish linguist and translator.

Leif Rantala (26 December 1947, Liljendal – 8 January 2015, Rovaniemi) was a Finnish-Swedish linguist, and a specialist of Sami languages, cultures of history, especially of the Kola Peninsula.

Valentina Sovkina characterized Rantala in Facebook with the following words: “He left a large, radiant footprint in the lives of the Sami people, with his interest in and knowledge of the Skolt Sami and the Sami of the Kola Peninsula.”

Activities in science and society Rantala graduated from Helsinki University with a MA degree in Finno-Ugric languages in 1975. His thesis dealt with the Saami place names in Polmak. He worked at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, mainly as a teacher of the Northern Saami language. He was an expert of the Saami peoples and cultures of Pechenga and the Kola Peninsula. He collected a sizable collection of ethnographic materials from the Saami of Russia.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Helsinki
Employers
University of Lapland, Saami Council, University of Helsinki
Also known as
Leif Stefan Rantala

People in Leif Rantala's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Leif Rantala's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Leif Rantala?

Finnish linguist

When was Leif Rantala born?

Leif Rantala was born on 26 December 1947 in Liljendal.

When did Leif Rantala die?

Leif Rantala died on 8 January 2015 in Rovaniemi.

What was Leif Rantala's occupation?

Leif Rantala was a linguist and translator.

What nationality was Leif Rantala?

Leif Rantala was Finnish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Leif Rantala

· Wikidata: Q18746248

· DBpedia: Leif Rantala

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Leif Rantala. https://biography.guide/leif-rantala/

MLA: "Leif Rantala." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/leif-rantala/.

Chicago: "Leif Rantala." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/leif-rantala/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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