North Frisian language
Encyclopedia
North Frisian is a minority language
of Germany, spoken by about 10,000 people in North Frisia
. The language is part of the larger group of the West Germanic
Frisian languages.
of north-western Lower Saxony
, Germany, and the West Frisian language
spoken in the northern Netherlands
. Together these three form the group of Frisian languages.
The English language is closely related to Frisian. The two languages used to be classified in a common Anglo-Frisian
group. Today, English and Frisian are mostly counted among the Ingvaeonic languages together with Low German
. The likewise closely related Low German developed differently since Old Saxon
times and has lost many Ingvaeonic characteristics.
Insular North Frisian
Mainland North Frisian
The mainland and insular dialects clearly differ from each other because they were shaped by Frisian immigrants during several different centuries. The islands of Sylt
, Föhr
and Amrum
were colonised around 800 while the mainland was settled by Frisians in AD 1100.
Add to this the various influences of neighbouring languages on the dialects. On Sylt, Föhr and Amrum as well as in parts of the northern mainland there is a strong South Jutlandic influence, whereas on Heligoland
and the rest of mainland North Frisia the Low German influence is predominant. Moreover, there has historically only been a limited exchange between the dialects so that hardly any lingua franca
could develop and there was no cultural centre in North Frisia whose dialect would have been able to take a leading role.
: Der kleine Häwelmann.)
Insular
Söl'ring
(dialect of Sylt
)
Fering
-Öömrang
(dialect of Föhr
and Amrum
)
Heligolandic
(dialect of Helgoland)
Mainland
Hoorning (dialect of Goesharde)
Wiedingharde Frisian
Halligen Frisian
(although it is spoken on the Halligen islands, it is linguistically grouped with the mainland dialects)
Mooring (dialect of Bökingharde
)
Note that, despite the differences between the dialects, the Fering and Öömrang are highly similar; in this example nearly identical.
The following table further demonstrates the similarities and differences between the various dialects.
peninsula were abandoned in favour of Low German during the 17th century. In contrast to the northern hundreds, Eiderstedt was economically strong and wealthy and was oriented towards the southern, Low German parts of Schleswig-Holstein. During the 16th century there was moreover a strong Dutch immigration.
A similar situation was to be found on the island of Strand
which was destroyed though during the Burchardi flood
. The population of the eastern, remaining part of Strand, the modern Nordstrand
, did not succeed in rebuilding the dikes on their own. Therefore many Frisian speaking people left their homeland on Strand or were otherwise not able to maintain their native language against mostly Dutch speaking immigrants. On Pellworm
, the western remainder of Strand though, the reparing of the dikes was quickly accomplished and so the Frisian language was still spoken in the 18th century until it also vanished due to changes in population structure. The old Strand Frisian was presumably most close to Halligen Frisian.
Likewise close to Halligen Frisian was the Wyk Frisian that used to be spoken in Wyk auf Föhr
until the town completely shifted to Low German. The Wyk dialect is thought to have developed from the dialects of immigrants from the Halligen and Strand island.
The most recently died out dialect is Southern Goesharde Frisian which became extinct with the death of its last speaker in 1981. Other mainland dialects are also facing extinction.
The North Frisian language is now extinct north of the German-Danish border but it is estimated that Frisian dialects were once spoken there as well.
The North Frisians eventually agreed upon the inter-dialectal name "friisk" which corresponds to the West Frisian native name "frysk". This designation is today mostly used when the North Frisian collectivity is addressed or in the names of official institutions such as Nordfriisk Instituut, Friisk Foriining or Friisk Gesäts. The northern section of the Interfrisian Council has however kept its name "Frasche Rädj" in the Mooring dialect.
from ɪ to a which is mostly complete in the central areas of the linguasphere but has only come to ɛ or eː in the periphery. E.g. the word "fish" translates to Mooring fasch, Fering-Öömrang fask, but Söl'ring fesk (cf. Low German: Fisch/Fisk, , ).
The distribution of the lenition
of the unvoiced plosives p, t and k is similar as these consonants have become voiced plosives and partially even developed to fricatives
in the central dialects. This can be demonstrated from the verb
"to know": Mooring waase, Fering-Öömrang wed, Sölring weet, Halunder wet (cf. West Frisian witte, Low German weten, German wissen).
The North Frisian dialects differ from modern Standard German
by a more diverse system of vowel
s and consonants. All dialects have in common an additional line of palatalization
s, which is uncommon for a Germanic language. Until recently an additional number of dental consonants that changed the meaning of a word was known in the dialect of Föhr
. In general it can be noted that the insular dialects feature a relatively complicated consonantal system while the mainland dialects have more diverse vowels.
As a recent development, the phonological system of the North Frisian dialects is strongly being influenced by Standard German and is slowly adapting to the system of the German language.
North Frisian is an endangered language, as in most places children no longer learn it. In UNESCO's Red Book of Endangered Languages
, North Frisian is classified as "seriously endangered". Exceptions are a few villages on the islands of Föhr
and Amrum
and the Risum-Lindholm
area. Especially in the western parts of Föhr, the language community is still relatively sound. The number of speakers on Föhr and Amrum alone is estimated to around 3,500. The other dialects are in fact seriously endangered, like Karrharde Frisian, Central Goesharde and Halligen Frisian.
The elementary and grammar school on Amrum is called Öömrang Skuul and among other subjects focuses on teaching the local dialect. Fering is also taught in schools on Föhr and the Risum Skole/Risem Schölj in Risum-Lindholm
on the mainland is a combined Danish-Frisian elementary school.
All speakers of North Frisian are at least bilingual (North Frisian and Standard German
). Many are trilingual (North Frisian, Standard German and Low German
) and, especially along the Danish border, quadrilingualism used to be widespread (North Frisian, Standard German, Low German and South Jutlandic).
In Schleswig-Holstein, the North Frisian language is protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
as a minority language. On 24 December 2004 a state law became effective in Schleswig-Holstein that recognises the North Frisian language for official use in the Nordfriesland
district and on Heligoland
.
Minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities.-International politics:...
of Germany, spoken by about 10,000 people in North Frisia
North Frisia
North Frisia or Northern Friesland is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located primarily in Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau/Vidå. It includes a number of islands, e.g., Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, Nordstrand, and Heligoland.-History:...
. The language is part of the larger group of the West Germanic
West Germanic languages
The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three traditional branches of the Germanic family of languages and include languages such as German, English, Dutch, Afrikaans, the Frisian languages, and Yiddish...
Frisian languages.
Classification
The closest relatives of North Frisian are the two other Frisian languages, the Saterland FrisianSaterland Frisian language
Saterland Frisian, also known as Sater Frisian or Saterlandic , is the last living dialect of the East Frisian language. It is closely related to the other Frisian languages—North Frisian, which, like Saterland Frisian, is spoken in Germany and West Frisian, which is spoken in the Netherlands.- Old...
of north-western Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany, and the West Frisian language
West Frisian language
West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
spoken in the northern Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Together these three form the group of Frisian languages.
The English language is closely related to Frisian. The two languages used to be classified in a common Anglo-Frisian
Anglo-Frisian languages
The Anglo-Frisian languages form a group of West Germanic languages consisting of Old English, Old Frisian, and their descendants...
group. Today, English and Frisian are mostly counted among the Ingvaeonic languages together with Low German
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
. The likewise closely related Low German developed differently since Old Saxon
Old Saxon
Old Saxon, also known as Old Low German, is the earliest recorded form of Low German, documented from the 8th century until the 12th century, when it evolved into Middle Low German. It was spoken on the north-west coast of Germany and in the Netherlands by Saxon peoples...
times and has lost many Ingvaeonic characteristics.
Overview
The North Frisian dialects can be grouped into two main dialectal divisions: those of the mainland and the insular dialects. All in all these two groups comprise 10 dialects; The dialect spoken on the Halligen is one of the mainland dialects though. Typically one distinguishes between the following ten dialects that have been spoken since the beginning of Frisian linguistic studies in the 19th century.Insular North Frisian
- Sylt Frisian (Söl'ringSöl'ringSöl'ring is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Sylt in the German region of North Frisia. Söl'ring refers to the Söl'ring Frisian word for Sylt, Söl. Together with the Fering, Öömrang, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
) - Föhr-Amrum Frisian (FeringFeringFering is the dialect of North Frisian spoken on the island of Föhr in the German region of North Frisia. Fering refers to the Fering Frisian name of Föhr, Feer...
/ÖömrangÖömrangÖömrang is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Amrum in the German region of North Frisia. Öömrang refers to the Öömrang Frisian name of Amrum, Oomram. Together with the Fering, Söl'ring, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
) - Heligolandic Frisian (HalunderHeligolandicHeligolandic is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the German island of Heligoland in the North Sea. It is spoken today by only a few hundred of the island's 1,650 inhabitants and is also taught in schools....
)
Mainland North Frisian
- Wiedingharde FrisianWiedingharde FrisianWiedingharde Frisian is a dialect of the North Frisian language spoken in the German amt of Wiedingharde south of the border to Denmark in North Frisia . The dialect forms part of the mainland group of North Frisian dialects...
- Bökingharde Frisian (Mooring)
- Karrharde FrisianKarrharde FrisianKarrharde Frisian is a dialect of the North Frisian language spoken in the municipalities of Stedesand and Enge-Sande in the German Amt of Südtondern in the district of Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Holstein. It is a mainland dialect of North Frisian...
- Northern Goesharde Frisian
- Central Goesharde Frisian
- Southern Goesharde Frisian (extinct since 1981)
- Halligen FrisianHalligen FrisianHalligen Frisian is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the Halligen islands, primarily Langeneß and Hooge, in the German region of North Frisia. Although it is spoken on islands, it is considered a mainland rather than an insular dialect due to its similarities with Goesharde...
The mainland and insular dialects clearly differ from each other because they were shaped by Frisian immigrants during several different centuries. The islands of Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
, Föhr
Föhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
and Amrum
Amrum
Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, south of Sylt and west of Föhr. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein...
were colonised around 800 while the mainland was settled by Frisians in AD 1100.
Add to this the various influences of neighbouring languages on the dialects. On Sylt, Föhr and Amrum as well as in parts of the northern mainland there is a strong South Jutlandic influence, whereas on Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
and the rest of mainland North Frisia the Low German influence is predominant. Moreover, there has historically only been a limited exchange between the dialects so that hardly any lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
could develop and there was no cultural centre in North Frisia whose dialect would have been able to take a leading role.
Samples
The sentence displayed below in many variants reads, "'Shine, old moon, shine!', cried Häwelmann, but neither the moon nor the stars were anywhere to be seen; they had all already gone to bed." (From: Theodor StormTheodor Storm
Hans Theodor Woldsen Storm , commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German writer.-Life:Storm was born in Husum, at the west coast of Schleswig than an independent duchy and ruled by the king of Denmark...
: Der kleine Häwelmann.)
Insular
Söl'ring
Söl'ring
Söl'ring is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Sylt in the German region of North Frisia. Söl'ring refers to the Söl'ring Frisian word for Sylt, Söl. Together with the Fering, Öömrang, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
(dialect of Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
)
- „Ljucht, ual Muun, ljucht!” skriilt Häwelmann, man di Muun wiar narigen tö sen en uk di Stiaren ek; ja wiar al altermaal tö Bēr gingen.
Fering
Fering
Fering is the dialect of North Frisian spoken on the island of Föhr in the German region of North Frisia. Fering refers to the Fering Frisian name of Föhr, Feer...
-Öömrang
Öömrang
Öömrang is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Amrum in the German region of North Frisia. Öömrang refers to the Öömrang Frisian name of Amrum, Oomram. Together with the Fering, Söl'ring, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
(dialect of Föhr
Föhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
and Amrum
Amrum
Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, south of Sylt and west of Föhr. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein...
)
- „Locht, ual muun, locht!” rep Heewelmaan, man a muun wiar nochhuaren tu sen an a stäären uk ei; jo wiar al altermaal tu baad gingen.
Heligolandic
Heligolandic
Heligolandic is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the German island of Heligoland in the North Sea. It is spoken today by only a few hundred of the island's 1,650 inhabitants and is also taught in schools....
(dialect of Helgoland)
- „Lochte, ool Muun, lochte!” rüp Heäwelman, oawers de Muun wear naarni tu sin’n en uk de Steern ni; dja wear al allemoal tu Baad gingen.
Mainland
Hoorning (dialect of Goesharde)
- „Jocht, uule moune, jocht!” biilked Hääwelmoon, ors e moune waas närngs to schüns än da steere ok ai; ja weern al aal to beede gingen.
Wiedingharde Frisian
- „Ljocht, uuile moone, ljocht!” biilked Hääwelmuon, män e moone was näärgen to schüns än uk e steere ai; jä würn al altomoale to beerd gingen.
Halligen Frisian
Halligen Frisian
Halligen Frisian is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the Halligen islands, primarily Langeneß and Hooge, in the German region of North Frisia. Although it is spoken on islands, it is considered a mainland rather than an insular dialect due to its similarities with Goesharde...
(although it is spoken on the Halligen islands, it is linguistically grouped with the mainland dialects)
- „Jaacht, uale mööne, jaacht!” bölked Hääwelmoon, man de mööne woas näärngs to siinen än de steere uk ee; jä weern al altomaole to beed giangen.
Mooring (dialect of Bökingharde
Bökingharde
Bökingharde was an amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 35 km northwest of Husum. Its seat was in Risum-Lindholm...
)
- „Jucht, üülje moune, jucht!” biiljked Hääwelmoon, ouers e moune wus nargne tu schüns än e stääre uk ai; ja wjarn ål åltumååle tu beed lim.
Note that, despite the differences between the dialects, the Fering and Öömrang are highly similar; in this example nearly identical.
The following table further demonstrates the similarities and differences between the various dialects.
| Dialect | Father | Mother | Sister | Brother |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Söl'ring Söl'ring Söl'ring is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Sylt in the German region of North Frisia. Söl'ring refers to the Söl'ring Frisian word for Sylt, Söl. Together with the Fering, Öömrang, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian... |
Faaðer | Mooter | Sester | Bröðer |
| Fering Fering Fering is the dialect of North Frisian spoken on the island of Föhr in the German region of North Frisia. Fering refers to the Fering Frisian name of Föhr, Feer... |
aatj | mam | saster | bruler |
| Öömrang Öömrang Öömrang is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Amrum in the German region of North Frisia. Öömrang refers to the Öömrang Frisian name of Amrum, Oomram. Together with the Fering, Söl'ring, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian... |
bruder | |||
| Hallig Frisian | baabe | mäm | soster | bröör |
| Halunder Heligolandic Heligolandic is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the German island of Heligoland in the North Sea. It is spoken today by only a few hundred of the island's 1,650 inhabitants and is also taught in schools.... |
Foor | Mem | Söster | Bruur |
| Wiedingharder Frisian | tääte | määm | broor | |
| Karrharde Frisian Karrharde Frisian Karrharde Frisian is a dialect of the North Frisian language spoken in the municipalities of Stedesand and Enge-Sande in the German Amt of Südtondern in the district of Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Holstein. It is a mainland dialect of North Frisian... |
mäm | brauder | ||
| Bökingharde Frisian | taatje | mam | brouder | |
| Central Goesharde Frisian | ate | mäm | broor | |
| Southern Goesharder Frisian | fåår, fååðer | brööðer | ||
| Nordergoesharder Frisian | fååje | soster | brår |
Extinct dialects
North Frisian dialects on the EiderstedtEiderstedt
Eiderstedt is a peninsula in the district of Nordfriesland in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.-Overview:It is approximately 30 km in length and 15 km in width and has been created through diking from three islands: Eiderstedt around Tönning, Utholm around Tating, and...
peninsula were abandoned in favour of Low German during the 17th century. In contrast to the northern hundreds, Eiderstedt was economically strong and wealthy and was oriented towards the southern, Low German parts of Schleswig-Holstein. During the 16th century there was moreover a strong Dutch immigration.
A similar situation was to be found on the island of Strand
Strand (island)
Strand was an island on the west coast of Nordfriesland in modern Germany. It was formed by a stormflood in 1362 where many villages and towns, Rungholt among them, were lost and Südfall island was as well separated from the mainland. Strand island was later split by the Burchardi flood of 1634...
which was destroyed though during the Burchardi flood
Burchardi flood
The Burchardi Flood was a storm tide that struck the North Sea coast of North Frisia and Dithmarschen on the night between 11 and 12 October 1634. Overrunning dikes, it shattered the coastline and caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic material damage...
. The population of the eastern, remaining part of Strand, the modern Nordstrand
Nordstrand, Germany
Nordstrand is a peninsula and former island in North Frisia on the North Sea coast of Germany. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Its area is 50 km², and its population is 2,300...
, did not succeed in rebuilding the dikes on their own. Therefore many Frisian speaking people left their homeland on Strand or were otherwise not able to maintain their native language against mostly Dutch speaking immigrants. On Pellworm
Pellworm
Pellworm is one of the North Frisian Islands on the North Sea coast of Germany. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Its area is 37 km², and its population is roughly 1,200....
, the western remainder of Strand though, the reparing of the dikes was quickly accomplished and so the Frisian language was still spoken in the 18th century until it also vanished due to changes in population structure. The old Strand Frisian was presumably most close to Halligen Frisian.
Likewise close to Halligen Frisian was the Wyk Frisian that used to be spoken in Wyk auf Föhr
Wyk auf Föhr
Wyk auf Föhr is the only town on Föhr, the second largest of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. Like the entire island it belongs to the district of Nordfriesland...
until the town completely shifted to Low German. The Wyk dialect is thought to have developed from the dialects of immigrants from the Halligen and Strand island.
The most recently died out dialect is Southern Goesharde Frisian which became extinct with the death of its last speaker in 1981. Other mainland dialects are also facing extinction.
The North Frisian language is now extinct north of the German-Danish border but it is estimated that Frisian dialects were once spoken there as well.
Self-designation
Due to the large number of dialects there is no original native name for the North Frisian language as such. E.g. the Wiedingharde and Halligen Frisians call their language freesk, in the Bökingharde it is called frasch, and in the Goesharde likewise fräisch or freesch. While these names all translate to "Frisian" the native names of the insular dialects refer to the particular islands as in Fering, Öömrang, Söl'ring or Halunder. E.g. "Frisian" would mean "fresk" in the Föhr dialect.The North Frisians eventually agreed upon the inter-dialectal name "friisk" which corresponds to the West Frisian native name "frysk". This designation is today mostly used when the North Frisian collectivity is addressed or in the names of official institutions such as Nordfriisk Instituut, Friisk Foriining or Friisk Gesäts. The northern section of the Interfrisian Council has however kept its name "Frasche Rädj" in the Mooring dialect.
Phonology
Despite the strong differences among the North Frisian dialects there are still some traits of phonology that are more or less common to all dialects. Among them is the vowel reductionVowel reduction
In phonetics, vowel reduction is any of various changes in the acoustic quality of vowels, which are related to changes in stress, sonority, duration, loudness, articulation, or position in the word , and which are perceived as "weakening"...
from ɪ to a which is mostly complete in the central areas of the linguasphere but has only come to ɛ or eː in the periphery. E.g. the word "fish" translates to Mooring fasch, Fering-Öömrang fask, but Söl'ring fesk (cf. Low German: Fisch/Fisk, , ).
The distribution of the lenition
Lenition
In linguistics, lenition is a kind of sound change that alters consonants, making them "weaker" in some way. The word lenition itself means "softening" or "weakening" . Lenition can happen both synchronically and diachronically...
of the unvoiced plosives p, t and k is similar as these consonants have become voiced plosives and partially even developed to fricatives
Fricative consonant
Fricatives are consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two articulators close together. These may be the lower lip against the upper teeth, in the case of ; the back of the tongue against the soft palate, in the case of German , the final consonant of Bach; or...
in the central dialects. This can be demonstrated from the verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
"to know": Mooring waase, Fering-Öömrang wed, Sölring weet, Halunder wet (cf. West Frisian witte, Low German weten, German wissen).
The North Frisian dialects differ from modern Standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
by a more diverse system of vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s and consonants. All dialects have in common an additional line of palatalization
Palatalization
In linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
s, which is uncommon for a Germanic language. Until recently an additional number of dental consonants that changed the meaning of a word was known in the dialect of Föhr
Fering
Fering is the dialect of North Frisian spoken on the island of Föhr in the German region of North Frisia. Fering refers to the Fering Frisian name of Föhr, Feer...
. In general it can be noted that the insular dialects feature a relatively complicated consonantal system while the mainland dialects have more diverse vowels.
As a recent development, the phonological system of the North Frisian dialects is strongly being influenced by Standard German and is slowly adapting to the system of the German language.
Current situation
Officially the number of North Frisian speakers ranges from 8,000 to 10,000 but linguists propose significantly lower numbers. In 2007, Århammar estimated a total of 5,000 speakers within and 1,500 to 2,000 speakers outside North Frisia proper. Exact surveys do not exist.North Frisian is an endangered language, as in most places children no longer learn it. In UNESCO's Red Book of Endangered Languages
Red Book of Endangered Languages
The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction...
, North Frisian is classified as "seriously endangered". Exceptions are a few villages on the islands of Föhr
Föhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
and Amrum
Amrum
Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, south of Sylt and west of Föhr. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein...
and the Risum-Lindholm
Risum-Lindholm
Risum-Lindholm is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-References:...
area. Especially in the western parts of Föhr, the language community is still relatively sound. The number of speakers on Föhr and Amrum alone is estimated to around 3,500. The other dialects are in fact seriously endangered, like Karrharde Frisian, Central Goesharde and Halligen Frisian.
The elementary and grammar school on Amrum is called Öömrang Skuul and among other subjects focuses on teaching the local dialect. Fering is also taught in schools on Föhr and the Risum Skole/Risem Schölj in Risum-Lindholm
Risum-Lindholm
Risum-Lindholm is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-References:...
on the mainland is a combined Danish-Frisian elementary school.
All speakers of North Frisian are at least bilingual (North Frisian and Standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
). Many are trilingual (North Frisian, Standard German and Low German
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
) and, especially along the Danish border, quadrilingualism used to be widespread (North Frisian, Standard German, Low German and South Jutlandic).
In Schleswig-Holstein, the North Frisian language is protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe...
as a minority language. On 24 December 2004 a state law became effective in Schleswig-Holstein that recognises the North Frisian language for official use in the Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
district and on Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
.
See also
- Frisian languages
- North FrisiaNorth FrisiaNorth Frisia or Northern Friesland is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located primarily in Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau/Vidå. It includes a number of islands, e.g., Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, Nordstrand, and Heligoland.-History:...
- FrisiansFrisiansThe Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
- Frisian IslandsFrisian IslandsThe Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...
External links
- Ethnologue on North Frisian
- Nordfriisk Instituut (North Frisian Institute) homepage (mainly in )
- Friisk Foriining (Frisian Society) homepage
- Friisk Foriining