Frisianlanguage

Frisian languages are a small group of West Germanic languages spoken in the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany. The best-known members are West Frisian, North Frisian, and Saterland Frisian. West Frisian is primarily spoken in the Dutch province of Friesland (Fryslân). North Frisian and Saterland Frisian are spoken in parts of Schleswig-Holstein and the Saterland region of Lower Saxony in Germany.

West Frisian, or Frysk, has a standardized form used in education, media, literature, and public life in Friesland. It is recognised as an official regional language of the Netherlands and is protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. A standard spelling and grammar support official use, while many speakers also use Dutch in everyday communication.

North Frisian and Saterland Frisian consist of several dialects and are considered minority languages with relatively small speaker communities. They are often not mutually intelligible with West Frisian or with each other. In Germany, Frisian languages receive regional support, including some schooling and media in Frisian.

Linguistically, Frisian languages form the closest modern Germanic relatives of English among the West Germanic languages and retain features that set them apart from Dutch and German. They share features of vocabulary and syntax with neighboring languages and have undergone various degrees of language shift and revival.

Efforts to promote and standardize Frisian have included education, literature, broadcasting, and governmental recognition. West Frisian has a strong presence in media and public life in Friesland, while North Frisian and Saterland Frisian remain vital to regional identity despite smaller communities.