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 |
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.