Linguistic research: How similar are the Frisian languages spoken in the Netherlands and Germany?

Almost all speakers of the Frisian language know that no two people speak Frisian exactly the same way. A word, a sound, or a pronunciation often immediately reveals which region someone is from. These differences are not only very interesting; they can also tell us a lot about how languages change while still retaining similarities.

This isn’t true only for Frisian in the Netherlands. Frisian languages are also spoken in Germany: North Frisian and Sater Frisian. Although these languages share the same origin, over the centuries they have each evolved in their own direction.

International Research 

In a new collaborative research project by the Frisian Academy, the North Frisian Institute, and the Seeltersk-Kontoor, speakers from all these Frisian-speaking regions are being systematically compared with one another for the first time. Linguist Fenna Bergsma of the Frisian Academy is one of the researchers: “The study focuses on subtle differences in language use and language perception—things people are often not even aware of. How do people use their language? What differences exist among speakers? Are German and Dutch influences evident in the Frisian languages? And how do people themselves view their language?”

The project is a first step in a broader international research program on the Frisian languages in Europe. Through this, the three institutes aim to gain a better understanding of how the Frisian language family functions today and, in doing so, how its various branches differ from and influence one another.

Participate

For this study, we are looking for speakers of Frisian, North Frisian, and Sater Frisian. It only takes 20 minutes to participate: participants fill out a questionnaire, share their opinions on language, and record a few short speech samples. Click here to participate in the study.