North Frisian (Frasch / Fresk / Freesk / Friisk)

North Frisian is spoken in Schleswig-Holstein in the rural district of North Frisia (Nordfriesland) in northern Germany. The language area comprises part of the mainland, the islands of Sylt, Föhr, Amrum and Heligoland, and the small islands of the Halligen archipelago.

Though North Frisian has no official status in Germany, it is occasionally used at local council meetings, etc. A few villages have Frisian road signs and bilingual place names are allowed. Frisian house names are popular, particularly on the islands where Frisian is spoken. The language is taught for a couple of hours a week in schools and there are a number of Frisian courses for adults throughout the region. There are regular, short broadcasts in Frisian on the radio, occasional Frisian articles in the German newspapers, and some Frisian literature, theatre and choirs.

North Frisian dialects are grouped into two main divisions: mainland and insular. Insular dialects are Sylt Frisian (Söl'ring), Föhr-Amrum Frisian (Fering/Öömrang), Heligolandic Frisian (Halunder).

Mainland dialects are: Wiedingharde Frisian, Bökingharde Frisian (Mooring), Karrharde Frisian, Northern Goesharde Frisian, Central Goesharde Frisian, Southern Goesharde Frisian (extinct since 1981) and Halligen Frisian.

Pronunciation of North Frisian

Notes

All dialects

s is always pronounced [s] in word initial position

Sylt dialect

i is pronounced [ə] when unstressed
g is pronounced [ç] between vowels
r is pronounced [x] before p, t, k, and is silent after [ɛ:] and before s. pronounced [r] elsewhere

Mooring & Föhringer

s pronounced [z] between vowels

Mooring dialect

g is pronounced [w] or [j] or is dropped between vowels
r sometimes pronounced [ʀ]

Sample texts in North Frisian

Mainland North Frisian dialects

Wiedingharde dialect (freesk)

Ale mänskene sän fri, likwjarti än mä däsjilwe rochte toläid. Jä hääwe ferstand än gewääten mäfingen än skuulin enoor äs broorne oonmuittreere.

Mooring/Böökingharde dialect (frasch)

Åle manschne san fri, likwjardi än ma daseelwie ruchte tuläid. Ja hääwe ferstånd än gewääten mafüngen än schönj enouder as brouderne önjtiinjtreese.

Hoorning dialect (fräisch)

Ale mänschne sän fri, glikweerti än mä däseelwie rochte tolaid. Jä hääwe ferstand än gewääten mäfüngen än schouln enår as bråre ounjintree'e.

Halligen (Tideland Island) (freesk)

Ale mänskene sän frai, glikweerti än mä de sälefste rochte tolaid. Jä hääwe ferstand än gewääten mäfungen än sköön nöör as bröörne ööntiantree'e.

Insular North Frisian languages

Sylt (söl'ring)

Ali Mensken sen frii, likwērtig en me disalev Rochten bēren. Ja haa Forstant en Giweeten mefingen en skul arküđer üs Bröđern öntöögentreer.

Hear a recording of this text by Tanno Hüttenrauch

Föhr (fering)

Ale mensken san frei, likwäärtig an mä dönsalew rochten bäären. Jo haa ferstant an geweeten mäfingen an skul enöler üüs breler uunjintreed.

Amrum (öömrang)

Ale minsken san frei, likwäärtag an mä josalew rochten bäären. Jo haa ferstant an geweeten mäfüngen an skul enööder üs breder uunjintreed.

Helgoland (halunder)

Alle Mensken sen frai, likwörti en med de sallowski Rechten geboorn. Djo hoa Ferstant en Geweeten medfin'n en skul arker as Bruurs uundjintreed.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about pronunciation and sample texts provided by François Paes, Pyt Kramer, Reinhard Hahn and the NordFriisk Instituut.

Sample video in North Frisian

Information about North Frisian | Phrases (Mooring Frisian) | Phrases (Sylt Frisan) | Numbers (Mooring Frisian) | Numbers (Sylt Frisan)

Links

Information about North Frisian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Frisian_language
http://www.nordfriiskinstituut.de/englisch.html
http://languagecontact.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/ELA/languages/Frisian.html
http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/document/friso/an/i3/i3.html
http://www1.fa.knaw.nl/noardfrysk/
http://www1.fa.knaw.nl/noardfrysk/spraaklear.html

North Frisian dictionary (Deutsch-Sölring Wörterbuch)
https://friisk.org/

Online North Frisian Radio
http://www.nfradio.de

Germanic languages

Afrikaans, Alsatian, Bavarian, Cimbrian, Danish, Dutch, Elfdalian, English, Faroese, Flemish, Frisian (East), Frisian (North), Frisian (Saterland), Frisian (West), German, Gothic, Gottscheerish, Gronings, Hunsrik, Icelandic, Limburgish, Low German, Luxembourgish, Mòcheno, Norn, Norwegian, Old English, Old Norse, Pennsylvania German, Ripuarian, Scots, Shetland(ic), Stellingwarfs, Swabian, Swedish, Swiss German, Transylvanian Saxon, Värmlandic, Wymysorys, Yiddish, Yola, Zeelandic

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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