Expertise

lexicography; cultural history of languages; Early Modern Frisian; literary studies; Latin and Greek philology

Biografy

André Looijenga (Tersoal, 1982) read Classics at Groningen University, and holds with a research master’s degree in Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In the mean time, his lifelong fascination for languages, history and literature steered him towards the Frisian language. Since 2022, Looijenga works as a lexicographer on the Online Dutch-Frisian Dictionary (ONFW). Furthermore he teaches Latin and Greek in secondary school.

From 2011 to 2019, Looijenga has been an editor of the Frisian-language literary journal Ensafh. He has published translations from several languages to Frisian. As a translator he co-authored Meelijwekkend volk, a book on the written sources about the Frisian from Antiquity and the Early Middle Age. He was also one of three editors of Swallows and Floating Horses, an anthology of Frisian literature from eight centuries, with translations and introductions in English.

Looijenga’s Frisian-language work aims at (re-)connecting literary studies, linguistics and historical scholarship. He studies (Early Modern) Frisian in comparison with other ‘lesser-used’ European languages en in its historical multilingual context. Both as a lexicographer, as a researcher and as an author he wishes to contribute to the vitality and future of our Frisian linguistic heritage.

Recent publications

Bruinsma, E., de Jong, A.P. & Looijenga, A.R. (2018). Swallows and Floating Horses. An Anthology of Frisian Literature. Francis Boutle Publishers, London.

Looijenga, A.R., Popkema, A.T. & Slofstra, B. (2017). Een meelijwekkend volk. Vreemden over Friezen van de oudheid tot de kerstening, Uitgeverij Wijdemeer, Leeuwarden

Looijenga, A.R. (2015). ‘Hengist, Horsa en Ronixa’. Ensafh 7.3, 31-44

Looijenga, A.R. (2014). ‘Chronique en Carmina: Latijn, volkstalen en het oeuvre van Pierius Winsemius (1586-1644)’. Philologia Frisica 2012, Leeuwarden.

Looijenga, A.R. (2014). ‘The spear and the ideology of kingship in Hellenistic poetry’. Harder, M.A., Regtuit, R.F., Wakker, G.C., Hellenistic Poetry in Context, Leuven.

Looijenga, A.R. (2014). ‘Werom nei Dbrss yn it lân Lcrss’. Ensafh 6.6, 62-67.

Looijenga, A.R. (2012). ‘Skriuwe yn in lytse taal. Frysk, Furlan, Lëtzebuergesch, en twa wêrom-fragen’. Ensafh 4.2, 4-21

Looijenga, A.R. (2009). ‘Unrolling the Alexandra: the allusive messenger-speech of Lycophron’s prologue and epilogue’. Cusset, C. & Prioux, É., Lycophron: éclats d’obscurité. Saint-Étienne. 59-80.