Westereendersk
Encyclopedia
Westereendersk is a local variety of Wood Frisian
and is spoken in De Westereen, Zwagerbosch
and Twijzelerheide
. The most remarkable feature is the use of ee /eː/ where Wood Frisian and most other West Frisian
dialects use ei or ij /ai/.
This sound change from /ai/ and sometimes /ɪ/ to /eː/ brings us some striking similarities with English
in spoken or written texts as most differences to standard Frisian also concern differences to English.
In the verbs lizze (to lie, to lay) and sizze (to say) and in the first person singular of these verbs the /ɪ/ is replaced by an /eː/. This phenomenon can also be found back in other parts of the Frisian Woods.
of Dantumadiel chose for Frisian names as official topographical names it was decided to replace the Dutch name Zwaagwesteinde by De Westereen instead of De Westerein. Towns like Zwagerbosch
and Twijzelerheide
also speak "Westereender Frisian".
However the village is called De Westerein by most other Frisians, its inhabitants are often called Westereenders.
Wood Frisian
Wood Frisian is a dialect of the West Frisian language spoken in the eastern part of the Dutch province of Friesland, which is called Wâlden...
and is spoken in De Westereen, Zwagerbosch
Zwagerbosch
Zwagerbosch is a small village in Kollumerland c.a. in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 640 citizens. People speak a dialect of the standard Wood Frisian: Westereendersk dialect.-References:...
and Twijzelerheide
Twijzelerheide
Twijzelerheide is a small village in Achtkarspelen in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 1960 citizens . In this village they speak a dialect of Wood Frisian: Westereendersk dialect.-External links:...
. The most remarkable feature is the use of ee /eː/ where Wood Frisian and most other West Frisian
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,...
dialects use ei or ij /ai/.
This sound change from /ai/ and sometimes /ɪ/ to /eː/ brings us some striking similarities with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in spoken or written texts as most differences to standard Frisian also concern differences to English.
Examples
| Westereendersk | Standard Frisian | English |
| treen | trein | train |
| ween | wein | wagon |
| free | frij | free |
| sneë | snije | to cut |
In the verbs lizze (to lie, to lay) and sizze (to say) and in the first person singular of these verbs the /ɪ/ is replaced by an /eː/. This phenomenon can also be found back in other parts of the Frisian Woods.
| Westereendersk | Standard Frisian | English |
| leze | lizze | to lie/lay |
| ik lees | ik lis | I'm laying/lying |
| seze | sizze | to say |
| ik sees | ik sis | I'm saying |
De Westereen
When the municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Dantumadiel chose for Frisian names as official topographical names it was decided to replace the Dutch name Zwaagwesteinde by De Westereen instead of De Westerein. Towns like Zwagerbosch
Zwagerbosch
Zwagerbosch is a small village in Kollumerland c.a. in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 640 citizens. People speak a dialect of the standard Wood Frisian: Westereendersk dialect.-References:...
and Twijzelerheide
Twijzelerheide
Twijzelerheide is a small village in Achtkarspelen in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 1960 citizens . In this village they speak a dialect of Wood Frisian: Westereendersk dialect.-External links:...
also speak "Westereender Frisian".
However the village is called De Westerein by most other Frisians, its inhabitants are often called Westereenders.