View source for West Frisian language

{{Short description|West Germanic language spoken in Friesland}}
{{Distinguish||West Frisian Dutch}}
{{multiple issues|{{Expand language|topic=cult|langcode=fy|date=January 2025}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2019}}{{summarize|from|West Frisian phonology|date=March 2015}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = West Frisian
| altname          = Frisian<br />West Lauwers Frisian
| nativename       = {{lang|fy|Frysk}}<br />{{lang|fy|Westerlauwersk Frysk}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|fy|frisk|}}, {{IPA|fy|ˈʋɛstr̩ˌlɔu.əs(k) ˈfrisk|}}
| states           = [[Netherlands]]
| region           = [[Friesland]]
| ethnicity        = [[West Frisians]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|467,000|2}}
| date             = 2001 census
| ref              = e18
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
| fam3             = [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]]
| fam4             = [[North Sea Germanic]]
| fam5             = [[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo-Frisian]]
| fam6             = [[Frisian languages|Frisian]]
| fam7             = [[West Frisian languages|West Frisian]]
| fam8             = Westlauwers–[[Terschelling Frisian|Terschellings]]
| nation           = [[Netherlands]]
* [[Friesland]]
| agency           = {{lang|fy|[[Fryske Akademy]]|italic=no}}
| script           = *[[Latin script|Latin]] ([[West Frisian alphabet]])
| iso1             = fy
| iso2             = fry
| iso3             = fry
| lingua           = 52-ACA-b
| glotto           = west2354
| glottorefname    = Western Frisian
| map              = Sprachsituationnordniederlande.png
| mapcaption       = Present-day distribution West Frisian languages, in the Netherlands
| map2             = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2      = {{center|Frisian is classified as Vulnerable by the <br>[[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''.}}
| notice           = IPA
}}
'''West Frisian''' ({{lang|fy|Westerlauwersk Frysk}}; {{langx|nl|Westerlauwers Fries}}),{{Needs IPA|date=June 2025}} or simply '''Frisian''' ({{lang|fy|Frysk}} {{IPA|fy|frisk|}}; {{langx|nl|link=no|Fries}} {{IPA|nl|fris|}}), is a [[West Germanic language]] spoken mostly in the province of [[Friesland]] ({{lang|fy|Fryslân}}) in the north of the [[Netherlands]], mostly by those of [[Frisians|Frisian ancestry]]. It is the most widely spoken of the [[Frisian languages]].

In the study of the evolution of [[English language|English]], West Frisian is notable as being the most closely related foreign tongue to the various dialects of [[Old English]] spoken across the [[Heptarchy]], these being part of the [[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo-Frisian branch]] of the West Germanic family.

== Name ==
{{unreferencedsect|date=April 2025}}
The name "West Frisian" is used only outside the Netherlands, to distinguish this language from the closely related [[Frisian languages]] of [[East Frisian language|East Frisian]], including [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]], and [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] spoken in [[Germany]]. Within the Netherlands, however, "West Frisian" refers to the [[West Frisian Dutch|West Frisian dialect of the Dutch language]] while the West Frisian language is almost always just called "Frisian" (in Dutch: {{lang|nl|Fries}} for the Frisian language and {{lang|nl|Westfries}} for the Dutch dialect). The unambiguous name used for the West Frisian language by linguists in the Netherlands is {{lang|nl|Westerlauwers Fries}} {{IPA|nl|ˈʋɛstərˌlʌu.ərs ˈfris|}} (West Lauwers Frisian), the [[Lauwers]] being a border river that separates the Dutch provinces of Friesland and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]].

==History==
{{Unreferencedsect|date=April 2025}}

===Old Frisian===
In the early [[Middle Ages]], the Frisian lands stretched from the area around [[Bruges]], in what is now [[Belgium]], to the river [[Weser]], in northern [[Germany]]. At that time, the Frisian language was spoken along the entire southern [[North Sea]] coast. Today this region is sometimes referred to as "Greater [[Frisia]]" or {{lang|la|Frisia Magna}}, and many of the areas within it still treasure their Frisian heritage, even though in most places the Frisian language has been lost.

[[Old Frisian]] bore a striking similarity to [[Old English]]. This similarity was reinforced in the late [[Middle Ages]] by the [[Ingvaeonic languages|Ingvaeonic]] sound shift, which affected Frisian and English, but the other [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]] varieties hardly at all. Both English and Frisian are marked by the suppression of the Germanic nasal in a word like ''us'' ({{lang|fy|ús}}), ''soft'' ({{lang|fy|sêft}}) or ''goose'' ({{lang|fy|goes}}): see [[Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law]]. Also, when followed by some vowels, the Germanic ''k'' developed into a ''ch'' sound. For example, the West Frisian for ''cheese'' and ''church'' is {{lang|fy|tsiis}} and {{lang|fy|tsjerke}}, whereas in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] they are {{lang|nl|kaas}} and {{lang|nl|kerk}}. Modern English and Frisian on the other hand have become very divergent, largely due to wholesale [[Old Norse]] and [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]] imports into English and similarly heavy Dutch and [[Low German]] influences on Frisian.

One major difference between Old Frisian and modern Frisian is that in the Old Frisian period ({{circa|1150}} – {{circa|1550}}) [[grammatical case]]s still occurred. Some of the texts that are preserved from this period are from the 12th or 13th, but most are from the 14th and 15th centuries. Generally, these texts are restricted to legal documents. Although the earliest definite written examples of Frisian are from approximately the 9th century, there are a few [[runes|runic]] inscriptions from the region which are probably older and possibly in the Frisian language. These runic writings, however, usually do not amount to more than single- or few-word inscriptions, and cannot be said to constitute [[literature]] as such. The [[Middle Frisian language]] period ({{circa|1550|1820}}) is rooted in geopolitics and the consequent fairly abrupt halt in the use of Frisian as a written language.

===Middle Frisian and New Frisian===
Until the 16th century, West Frisian was widely spoken and written, but from 1500 onwards it became an almost exclusively oral language, mainly used in rural areas. This was in part due to the occupation of its stronghold, the Dutch province of [[Friesland]] ({{lang|fy|Fryslân}}), in 1498, by [[Albert III, Duke of Saxony]], who replaced West Frisian as the language of government with Dutch.

This practice was continued under the [[Habsburg]] rulers of the Netherlands ([[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], and his son [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II, King of Spain]]). When [[Dutch Revolt|the Netherlands became independent in 1585]], West Frisian did not regain its former status, because [[Holland]] rose as the dominant part of the Netherlands and its language, Dutch, as the dominant language in judicial, administrative and religious affairs.

In this period the Frisian poet [[Gysbert Japiks]] (1603–1666), a schoolteacher and [[Cantor (Christianity)|cantor]] from the city of [[Bolsward]] ({{lang|fy|Boalsert}}), who largely fathered modern West Frisian literature and orthography, was an exception to the rule.

His example was not followed until the 19th century. The [[Brothers Halbertsma]], most notably, further incentivized Frisian written literature through their literary and poetic work. The appearance of an entire generation of Frisian authors and poets coincided with the introduction of the so-called newer breaking system, a prominent grammatical feature in almost all West Frisian dialects, with the notable exception of {{lang|fy|Súdwesthoeksk}}. Therefore, the New Frisian period is considered to have begun at this time, around 1820.

== Speakers ==
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Sjoukje speaking West Frisian.webm|thumb|A West Frisian speaker, recorded in the [[Netherlands]]]]
Most speakers of West Frisian live in the province of [[Friesland]] in the north of the [[Netherlands]]. Friesland has 643,000 inhabitants (2005), of whom 94% can understand spoken West Frisian, 74% can speak West Frisian, 75% can read West Frisian, and 27% can write it.<ref>Provinsje Fryslân (2007), ''Fluchhifking Fryske Taal''.</ref>

For over half of the inhabitants of the province of Friesland, 55% ({{circa|354,000 people}}), West Frisian is the native language. In the central east, West Frisian speakers spill over the province border, with some 4,000–6,000 of them actually living in the province of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], in the triangular area of the villages Marum (West Frisian: {{lang|fy|Mearum}}), De Wilp ({{lang|fy|De Wylp}}), and Opende ({{lang|fy|De Grinzer Pein}}).<ref>Gorter, D. L.G. Jansma en G.H. Jelsma (1990), ''Taal yn it Grinsgebiet. Undersyk nei de taalferhâldings en de taalgrins yn it Westerkertier yn Grinslân''. Sosjaal-wittenskiplike rige nummer 10. Akademy-nummer 715. Ljouwert: Fryske Akademy.</ref>

Also, many West Frisians have left their province in the last 60 years for more prosperous parts of the Netherlands. Therefore, possibly as many as 150,000 West Frisian speakers live in other Dutch provinces, particularly in the urban agglomeration in the West, and in neighbouring Groningen and newly reclaimed [[Flevoland]].<ref>Gorter, Durk; Riemersma, Alex; & Ytsma, Jehannes (2001). "Frisian in the Netherlands". In Extra, Guus & Gorter, Durk (eds.), ''The Other Languages of Europe''. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. pp. 115–135. Available via ResearchGate: [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254778143_Frisian_in_the_Netherlands]. The authors discuss demographic shifts, including migration of West Frisians to other Dutch provinces and the resulting distribution of Frisian speakers outside Friesland.</ref>

A Frisian diaspora exists abroad; Friesland sent more emigrants than any other Dutch province between the [[Second World War]] and the 1970s. Frisian is still spoken by some [[Dutch Canadians]], [[Dutch Americans]], [[Dutch Australians]] and [[Dutch New Zealanders]].

Apart from the use of West Frisian as a first language, it is also spoken as a second language by about 120,000 people in the province of Friesland.<ref>Gorter, D. & R.J. Jonkman (1994), ''Taal yn Fryslân op 'e nij besjoen''. Ljouwert: Fryske Akademy.</ref>

West Frisian is considered by [[UNESCO]] to be a language in danger of becoming [[extinct languages|extinct]], officially listed as "vulnerable".<ref>Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. {{ISBN|978-92-3-104096-2}}.</ref>

== Status ==
[[File:Fries hindeloopen.JPG|thumb|Bilingual West Frisian–Dutch signs in [[Hindeloopen]]]]

In 1951, Frisian language activists, protesting at the exclusive use of Dutch in the courts, caused a riot in [[Leeuwarden]].<ref>Geschiedenis van Friesland, 1750–1995, Johan Frieswijk, p.  327.</ref> The resulting inquiry led to the establishment of a committee of inquiry. This committee recommended that the Frisian language should receive legal status as a minority language.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buruma |first=Ian |date=2001-05-31 |title=The Road to Babel |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2001/05/31/the-road-to-babel/ |journal=The New York Review of Books |issn=0028-7504}}</ref> Subsequently, the Use of Frisian in Legal Transactions Act of 11 May 1956 was passed, which provided for the use of Frisian in transactions with the courts.<ref>see [https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0002219 Wet gebruik Friese taal in het rechtsverkeer] [Use of Frisian in Legal Transactions Act] (in Dutch) via overheid.nl</ref>

Since 1956, West Frisian has an official status along with and equal to [[Dutch language|Dutch]] in the province of [[Friesland]]. It is used in many domains of Frisian society, among which are education, legislation, and administration. In 2010, some sixty public transportation ticket machines in Friesland and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] added a West Frisian-language option.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ov-chipkaartautomaten ook in het Fries |trans-title=OV chip card machines also in Frisian |url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1418752.ece/Ov-chipkaartautomaten_ook_in_het_Fries |access-date=14 September 2010 |newspaper=[[de Volkskrant]] |date=13 September 2010}}</ref>

Although in the courts of law the Dutch language is still mainly used, in the province of [[Friesland]], Frisians have the right to give evidence in their own language. Also, they can take the oath in Frisian in courts anywhere in the [[Netherlands]].

Primary education in Friesland was made bilingual in 1956, which means West Frisian can be used as a teaching medium. In the same year, West Frisian became an official school subject, having been introduced to primary education as an optional extra in 1937. It was not until 1980, however, that West Frisian had the status of a required subject in primary schools, and not until 1993 that it was given the same position in secondary education.

In 1997, the province of Friesland officially changed its name from the Dutch form {{lang|nl|Friesland}} to the West Frisian {{lang|fy|Fryslân}}. So far 4 out of 18 municipalities ({{lang|fy|[[Dantumadiel]]}}, {{lang|fy|[[De Fryske Marren]]}}, {{lang|fy|[[Noardeast-Fryslân]]}}, {{lang|fy|[[Súdwest-Fryslân]]}}) have changed their official geographical names from Dutch to West Frisian. Some other municipalities, like [[Heerenveen]] and the 11 towns, use two names (both Dutch and West Frisian) or only a West Frisian name.

Within [[ISO 639]] West Frisian falls under the codes <code>fy</code> and <code>fry</code>, which were assigned to the collective Frisian languages.

==Relations with Dutch and English==
===With Dutch===
The [[mutual intelligibility]] in reading between Dutch and Frisian is poor. A [[cloze test]] in 2005 revealed native Dutch speakers understood 31.9% of a West Frisian newspaper, 66.4% of an [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] newspaper and 97.1% of a Dutch newspaper. However, the same test also revealed that native Dutch speakers understood 63.9% of a spoken Frisian text, 59.4% of a spoken Afrikaans text and 89.4% of a spoken Dutch text, read aloud by native speakers of the respective languages.<ref>{{cite journal|title=How easy is it for speakers of Dutch to understand Frisian and Afrikaans, and why?|first1=Renée van|last1= Bezooijen |first2=Charlotte |last2=Gooskens|journal=Linguistics in the Netherlands |volume=22|date=2005|url=http://www.let.rug.nl/gooskens/pdf/publ_lingneth_2005.pdf|pages=18, 21, 22}}</ref>

===Folklore about relation to English===
[[File:Anglo-Frisian distribution map.svg|thumb|Map of Anglo-Frisian language areas in Europe, including (in dark blue) West Frisian, (medium blue) [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]], and (light blue) [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]]]]

The saying "As milk is to cheese, are English and Fries" describes the observed similarity between Frisian and English. One rhyme that is sometimes used to demonstrate the palpable similarity between Frisian and English is "Bread, butter and green cheese is good English and good Fries", which does not sound very different from "{{lang|fy|Brea, bûter en griene tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Frysk}}".<ref>The History of English: A Linguistic Introduction, Scott Shay. Wardja Press, 2008, {{ISBN|978-0-615-16817-3}}</ref>

Another rhyme on this theme, "{{lang|fy|Bûter, brea en griene tsiis; wa't dat net sizze kin is gjin oprjochte Fries}}" ({{audio|Nl-Schibbolet-fries.oga|example}}; in English, "Butter, bread and green cheese, whoever can't say that is not a proper Frisian") was used, according to legend, by the 16th century Frisian rebel and pirate [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] as a [[shibboleth]] that he forced his captives to repeat to distinguish Frisians from [[Dutch people|Dutch]] and [[Low German]]s.

== Language examples ==
[[File:Universal Declaration of Human Rights - fri - sn - Art1.ogg|thumb|West Frisian pronunciation]]
Here is a short example of the West Frisian language in comparison with [[English language|English]], [[Old English]], and [[Dutch language|Dutch]].

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]
|-
!scope="col"| Language
!scope="col"| Text
|-
!scope="row"| English<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/english|title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - English |website=OHCHR|access-date=14 February 2023}}</ref>
| 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.
|-
!scope="row"| Old English<ref>{{cite web|url= https://omniglot.com/udhr/germanic.htm|title=UDHR in Germanic languages |website=Omniglot |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref>
| Ealle menn sindon frēo and ġelīċe on āre and ġerihtum ġeboren. Hīe sindon witt and inġehygde ġetīðod, and hīe sċulon mid brōþorlīċum ferhþe tō heora selfes dōn.
|-
!scope="row"| West Frisian<ref name="ohchr frisian">{{cite web|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/frisian|title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Frisian |website=OHCHR|access-date=14 February 2023}}</ref>
| {{Lang|fy|Alle minsken wurde frij en gelyk yn weardigens en rjochten berne. Hja hawwe ferstân en gewisse meikrigen en hearre har foar inoar oer yn in geast fan bruorskip te hâlden en te dragen.}}
|-
!scope="row"| Dutch<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/dutch-nederlands|title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Dutch (Nederlands) |website=OHCHR|access-date=14 February 2023}}</ref>
| {{lang|nl|Alle mensen worden vrij en gelijk in waardigheid en rechten geboren. Zij zijn begiftigd met verstand en geweten, en behoren zich jegens elkander in een geest van broederschap te gedragen. }}
|}

== Internal classification ==
Not all Frisian varieties spoken in Dutch Friesland are [[Mutual intelligibility|mutually intelligible]]. The varieties on the islands are rather divergent, and ''Glottolog'' distinguishes four languages:<ref>{{cite web| editor-last1= Hammarström| editor-first1 = Harald| editor-last2 = Forke| editor-first2 = Robert| editor-last3 = Haspelmath| editor-first3 = Martin| editor-last4 = Bank| editor-first4 = Sebastian| year = 2020|title = Western Frisian | work = [[Glottolog]] 4.3| url = https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/west2354}}</ref>
* [[Hindeloopen-Molkwerum Frisian]]
* [[Schiermonnikoog Frisian]]
* Westlauwers–Terschellings
** [[Terschelling Frisian]]
** Western Frisian (mainstream Mainland West Frisian)

The dialects within mainstream mainland West Frisian are all readily intelligible. Three are usually distinguished:
* Clay Frisian (Klaaifrysk dialect)
* Wood Frisian (Wâldfrysk dialect, incl. [[Westereendersk]])
* South or Southwest Frisian (Súdhoeksk dialect)

The {{lang|fy|Súdwesthoeksk}} ("South Western") dialect, which is spoken in an area called {{lang|fy|de Súdwesthoeke}} ("the Southwest Corner"), deviates from mainstream West Frisian in that it does not adhere to the so-called newer breaking system, a prominent grammatical feature in the three other main dialects.

The {{lang|fy|Noardhoeksk}} ("Northern") dialect, spoken in the north eastern corner of the province, does not differ much from Wood Frisian.

By far the two most-widely spoken West Frisian dialects are Clay Frisian ({{lang|fy|Klaaifrysk}}) and Wood Frisian ({{lang|fy|Wâldfrysk}}). Both these names are derived from the Frisian landscape. In the western and north-western parts of the province, the region where Clay Frisian is spoken, the soil is made up of thick marine clay, hence the name. While in the Clay Frisian-speaking area ditches are used to separate the pastures, in the eastern part of the province, where the soil is sandy, and water sinks away much faster, rows of trees are used to that purpose.  The natural landscape in which Wâldfrysk exists mirrors [[The Weald]] and [[North Weald]] areas of south-eastern England – the Germanic words ''wald'' and ''weald'' are cognate.

Although {{lang|fy|Klaaifrysk}} and {{lang|fy|Wâldfrysk}} are mutually very easily intelligible, there are, at least to native West Frisian speakers, a few very conspicuous differences. These include the pronunciation of the words {{lang|fy|my}} ("me"), {{lang|fy|dy}} ("thee"), {{lang|fy|hy}} ("he"), {{lang|fy|sy}} ("she" or "they"), {{lang|fy|wy}} ("we") and {{lang|fy|by}} ("by"), and the diphthongs {{lang|fy|ei}} and {{lang|fy|aai}}.<ref>Popkema, J. (2006), ''Grammatica Fries. De regels van het Fries''. Utrecht: Het Spectrum.</ref>

Of the two, {{lang|fy|Wâldfrysk}} probably has more speakers, but because the western clay area was originally the more prosperous part of the mostly agricultural province, {{lang|fy|Klaaifrysk}} has had the larger influence on the West Frisian standardised language.

===Dialectal comparison===
There are few if any differences in [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]] or [[syntax]] among the West Frisian dialects, all of which are easily [[mutually intelligible]], but there are slight variances in [[lexicon]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Germanic Standardizations: Past to Present|author=Ana Deumert, Wim Vandenbussche|year=2003|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|isbn=90-272-1856-0}}</ref>

====Phonological differences====

The largest difference between the Clay Frisian and Wood Frisian dialects are the words {{lang|fy|my}} ("me"), {{lang|fy|dy}} ("you"), {{lang|fy|hy}} ("he"), {{lang|fy|sy}} ("she" or "they"), {{lang|fy|wy}} ("we"), and {{lang|fy|by}} ("by"), which are pronounced in the Wood Frisian as ''mi'', ''di'', ''hi'', ''si'', ''wi'', and ''bi'' and in Clay Frisian as ''mij'', ''dij'', ''hij'', ''sij'', ''wij'', and ''bij''.  Other differences are in the pronunciation of the diphthongs {{lang|fy|ei}}, {{lang|fy|ai}}, and {{lang|fy|aai}} which are pronounced ''ij'', ''ai'', and ''aai'' in Wood Frisian, but ''ôi'', ''òi'', and ''ôi'' in Clay Frisian. Thus, in Wood Frisian, there is no difference between {{lang|fy|ei}} and {{lang|fy|ij}}, whereas in Clay Frisian, there is no difference between {{lang|fy|ei}} and {{lang|fy|aai}}.

Other [[phonology|phonological]] differences include:

{| class="wikitable" width="300"
|- style="background: #efefef;"
! width="20%" |English
! width="20%" |[[Dutch language|Dutch]]
! width="20%" |Wood Frisian
! width="20%" |Clay Frisian
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|you (singular)
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|jij}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|dû}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|do}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|plum
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|pruim}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|prûm}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|prom}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|thumb
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|duim}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|tûme}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|tomme}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|naked
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|naakt}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|nêken}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|neaken}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|crack
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|kraken}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|krêkje}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|kreakje}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|weak (soft)
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|week}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|wêk}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|weak}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|grass
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|gras}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|gjers}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|gers}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|cherry
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|kers}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|kjers}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|kers}}
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|calf
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|nl|kalf}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|kjel}}
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|{{lang|fy|kel}}
|}

====Lexical differences====
Some [[lexicon|lexical]] differences between Clay Frisian and Wood Frisian include:

{| class="wikitable" width="300"
|- style="background: #efefef;"
! width="20%" |English
! width="20%" |Wood Frisian
! width="20%" |Clay Frisian
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|Saturday
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|saterdei
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|sneon
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|ant
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|mychammel<br>mychhimmel
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|eamel<br>eamelder
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|fleece
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|flij
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|flues
|- 
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|sow (pig)
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|mot
|style="border: 1px #aaaaaa solid;"|sûch
|}

==Orthography==
{{Main|West Frisian alphabet}}

West Frisian uses the Latin alphabet. A, E, O and U may be accompanied by [[circumflex]] or [[acute accent|acute]] accents.

In alphabetical listings both I and Y are usually found between H and J. When two words differ only because one has I and the other one has Y (such as {{lang|fy|stikje}} and {{lang|fy|stykje}}), the word with I precedes the one with Y.

In handwriting, IJ (used for Dutch loanwords and personal names) is written as a single letter (see [[IJ (digraph)]]), whereas in print the string IJ is used. In alphabetical listings IJ is most commonly considered to consist of the two letters I and J, although in dictionaries there is an entry IJ between X and Z telling the user to browse back to I.

==Phonology==
<!-- This needs to wait until "West Frisian phonology" is fixed. As of now (12 April 2015), there are noticeable issues with that article. -->
{{main|West Frisian phonology}}

[[File:Lutz Jacobi kandidaat PvdA.opus|thumb|Spoken West Frisian]]

== Grammar ==
{{main|West Frisian grammar}}

==See also==
* [[Frisia]]
* [[Frisian languages]]
* [[Frisian Islands]]
* [[Frisians]]
* [[Frisian literature]]
* [[Languages of the Netherlands]]
* [[File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg|16x16px|alt=|link=]] [[wikt:Appendix:Swadesh lists for Germanic languages|Swadesh list with English and Frisian words]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |last=Erkelens |first=Helma |url=http://www.gemeentenenfrysk.nl/upload/files/taalfanithertingelsk.pdf |title=Taal fen it hert. Language of the Heart. About Frisian Language and Culture |publisher=Province of Fryslân |location=Leeuwarden |year=2004}}
* {{citation |last=de Haan |first=Germen J. |editor-last1=Hoekstra |editor-first1=Jarich |editor-last2=Visser |editor-first2=Willem |editor-last3=Jensma |editor-first3=Goffe |year=2010 |title=Studies in West Frisian Grammar: Selected Papers by Germen J. de Haan |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company |place=Amsterdam |isbn=978-90-272-5544-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wW_D3RxTQDkC }}
* {{citation |last=Hoekstra |first=Jarich |last2=Tiersma |first2=Peter Meijes |editor-last=van der Auwera |editor-first=Johan |editor-last2=König |editor-first2=Ekkehard |year=2013 |orig-year=First published 1994 |title=The Germanic Languages |chapter=16 Frisian |publisher=Routledge |pages=505–531 |isbn=978-0-415-05768-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVBdAgAAQBAJ }}
* {{citation |last=Jong |first=Gerbrich de |last2=Hoekstra |first2=Eric |url=http://www.taalportaal.org/taalportaal/topic/pid/topic-14225224491227143#852143 |title=A General Introduction to Frisian |website=Taalportaal |year=2018}}
* {{citation |last=Jonkman |first=Reitze J. |chapter=Leeuwarden |editor-last1=Kruijsen |editor-first1=Joep |editor-last2=van der Sijs |editor-first2=Nicoline |title=Honderd Jaar Stadstaal |publisher=Uitgeverij Contact |date=1999 |pages=37–48 |chapter-url=http://dbnl.org/arch/sijs002hond01_01/pag/sijs002hond01_01.pdf }}
* {{citation |last=Sipma |first=Pieter |year=1913 |title=Phonology & grammar of modern West Frisian |publisher=Oxford University Press |place=London |url=https://archive.org/details/phonologygrammar00sipmuoft }}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=fy}}
* [http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=fry ISO 639 code set entry for "fry"] and for [http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=fri "fri"] (active and retired language codes, respectively)
* [http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0034047/ Wet gebruik Friese taal (2013)]. overheid.nl. - 2013 legislation concerning the Frisian language

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[[Category:West Frisian languages| ]]
[[Category:Languages of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Endangered Germanic languages]]
[[Category:Vulnerable languages]]
[[Category:Culture of Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of Europe]]