Frisian language

Frisian language
West Germanic language most closely related to English.

Formerly spoken from the province of North Holland in The Netherlands to the province of Schleswig in northern Germany, Frisian is now spoken only in three small areas, each with its own dialect. West Frisian is spoken in the province of Friesland in The Netherlands, East Frisian in the Saterland west of Oldenburg, Ger., and North Frisian along the western coast of Schleswig on the Frisian Islands. Written records in Old Frisian date from the end of the 13th century. From the late 16th century to the late 19th century, written Frisian was seldom used. In modern times there has been a revival of West Frisian, and it is considered an official language by the Dutch government.

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Frisian  Frysk , Dutch  Fries 

      the West Germanic language most closely related to English. Although Frisian was formerly spoken from what is now the province of Noord-Holland (North Holland) in The Netherlands along the North Sea coastal area to modern German Schleswig, including the offshore islands in this area, modern Frisian is spoken in only three small remaining areas, each with its own dialect. These dialects are West Frisian, which is spoken in the province of Friesland in The Netherlands, including the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Terschelling; East Frisian, which is spoken in the Saterland west of Oldenburg, Ger.; and North Frisian, which is spoken along the west coast of Schleswig in Germany and on the offshore islands of Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, the Halligen Islands, and Helgoland.

      Written records date from the end of the 13th century and are in Old Frisian, a stage of the language that lasted until the late 16th century. Old Frisian shows all the features that distinguish English and Frisian from the other Germanic languages.

      Although Frisian was little used as a written language for about 300 years after the end of the Old Frisian period, there has been a revival in modern times in the West Frisian area. The language is now used in the schools and courts in the province of Friesland. There is also a Frisian Academy. East and North Frisian are being gradually supplanted by German.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • West Frisian language — language name=West Frisian nativename=Frysk states=NED region=flag|Friesland flag|Groningen speakers=360,000–700,000 familycolor=Indo European fam2=Germanic fam3=West Germanic fam4=Anglo Frisian fam5=Frisian nation=Netherlands agency=Fryske… …   Wikipedia

  • Saterland Frisian language — language name=Saterland Frisian nativename=Seeltersk states=GER region=flag|Lower Saxony speakers=2,000 familycolor=Indo European fam2=Germanic fam3=West Germanic fam4=Anglo Frisian fam5=Frisian iso2=gem iso3=stqSaterland Frisian, also known as… …   Wikipedia

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  • West Frisian (language) — West Frisian ( nl. Westfries) was a language which was spoken in the historical region West Friesland. Not to be confused with the spoken language of the Friesland province internationally indicated with the name West Frisian language (in Dutch… …   Wikipedia

  • Frisian literature — is works written in the Frisian languages, particularly that of West Frisian spoken in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands, from which most texts were produced or have survived. The first texts written in Frisian emerge around the 13th… …   Wikipedia

  • Middle Frisian language — Middle Frisian evolved from Old Frisian from the 16th century and was spoken until ca. 1820, considered the beginning of the Modern period of the Frisian languages. Up until the fifteenth century Old Frisian was a language widely spoken and… …   Wikipedia

  • Frisian — or Friesian can refer to:*The Frisians, an ethnic group of northwestern Europe inhabiting an area known as Frisia *The modern Frisian languages, including: **West Frisian language, spoken in Friesland, Netherlands **Saterland Frisian language, of …   Wikipedia

  • Frisian participation in the Crusades — is attested from the very beginning of the First Crusade, but there presence is only felt substantially during the Fifth Crusade. They participated in almost all the major Crusades and the Reconquista. The Frisians are almost always referred to… …   Wikipedia

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