Frisian languages
Frisian refers to three languages that come from Friesland, a province in the Netherlands. They are spoken in the Netherlands, in Eastern Germany, and in some areas of Jutland, Denmark. It is also spoken on the Frisian Isles (Wadden Isles) and Western German (East Frisian) Isles such as Borkum.
| Frisian | |
|---|---|
| Frysk | |
 | |
| Native to | Netherlands, Germany |
| Region | Friesland, Groningen, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein |
| Ethnicity | Frisians |
| Native speakers | 480,000 (ca. 2001 census)e18 |
| Language family | |
| Early forms: | Old Frisian
|
| Dialects | |
| Writing system | Latin |
| Official status | |
| Official language in | Netherlands Germany |
| Regulated by | NL: Fryske Akademy D: no official regulation unofficial: the Seelter Buund (for Sater Frisian), the Nordfriisk Instituut (for North Frisian) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously: fry – West Frisian frr – North Frisian stq – Saterland Frisian |
| Linguasphere | 52-ACA |
 Present-day distribution of the Frisian languages in Europe:
Saterland Frisian | |
They are West Germanic languages that are related to Dutch and are also the closest living languages to English. All of them have been spoken since Roman times.
The Frisian languages are:
| language | wordlist | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten |
| West Frisian | ien | twa | trije | fjouwer | fiif | seis | sân | aacht | njoggen | tsien |
| North Frisian | ian | tau | trii | fjauer | fiiw | sääks | sööwen | aacht | njugen | tiin |
| Saterland Frisian | aan | two | trio | fjauer | fieuw | sääks | soogen | oachte | njuugen | tjoon |
| English | West Frisian | Sarerland Frisian | North Frisian |
| Flensburg | Flensburch | Flensbuurich | Flensborag |
Frisian Languages Media
Old Frisian text from 1345
A modern West Frisian speaker, recorded in the Netherlands
This is a small portion of the Frisian family tree.
Frisia highlighted on a map of Europe
Location of Frisia (green) in the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany
West and East Frisia were once connected. North Frisia was colonized by Frisians via the North Sea and they first settled on Sylt, Amrum and Föhr.
The languages in the northern Netherlands (in German)
Language situation in northern Schleswig-Holstein as it developed since the 19th century
The North Frisian dialects (in German)
