Frisian

[Sean of the Dead]

I guess I'll have to learn more Turkish so you can't understand me then.

How much would you recommend me to learn Dutch before Frisian? I'm guessing there are a lot of resources in Dutch, seeing the languages are really close, and spoken in the same small country.

I'd prefer to learn Frisian, but I'm afraid I'd have to learn Dutch first, or at least learn to read Dutch.

There's nothing wrong with Dutch, and I'm pretty interested in it, but I prefer Frisian.

[Dminor]

Depends on what you want, really. Out of practical reasons Dutch is surely preferable: it's more widely used, there are more resources, and almost all Frisians know Dutch as well, whereas Dutch people usually aren't very familiar with Frisian. But hey, since when are practical considerations a reason for Unilangers not to learn a language? Well, of course the resources could be a problem, indeed all my resources for Frisian are either in Frisian or in Dutch. But how about that Frisian grammar in English? You'd only need a dictionary (the online one I posted in the other topic is pretty fine) and you'd be ready to start learning.

It hinget eins ôf fan wat aste wolst. Út praktyske redenen soe Hollânsk grif better wêze: it wurdt oer grutter gebiet brûkt, der binne mear boarnen, en hast alle Friezen prate ek Hollânsk, wylst Hollânske minsken ornaris fan it Frysk net in protte witten ha. Mar och, sûnt wannear is praktysk omtinken in reden foar Unilangers om in taal net te learen? Grif koene dy boarnen in probleem wêze, yndie binne al myn boarnen foar it Frysk yn it Frysk of it Hollânsk. Mar wat fynste fan dy Fryske grammatika yn it Ingelsk? Soest allinnich noch mar in wurdboek nedich ha (dy online dy't ik yn it oare topic delset ha is wol bêst) en it learen soe heve kinne.

[zabzababz]

I have just recently become interested in the Frisian language, and I want to try to learn as much as I can about it. However I came across a problem with pronunciation. I found two different pronunciations of the word "trije" on two different websites. On one they pronounced the "ij" similar to the english "ay", as in tray. And on the other website, it sounded more like an "i" sound, as in try. These sound quite different and are confusing me. What is the correct pronunciation of the "ij" sound in Frisian? Are these different dialects?

[Dminor]

Yes, in fact they are. The variant that sounds similar to tray is Wâldfrysk (Wood Frisian), the one similar to try is Klaaifries (Clay Frisian). But as far as I know trije is the only word in which these dialects differ as far as the pronunciation of <ij> is concerned: normally it's pronounced like try in Wâldfrysk as well.

It is, however, important to note that it is only similar to try, but that in fact its first part is higher: the exact sound is [ɛi] (a combination of the vowels in bed and peep). This is important because there is another diphthong in Frisian that is even more similar to the one in try: [aːi] (as in the word Klaaifrysk for example).

Another related subject that might cause some confusion are the various pronunciations of <ei>. In Wâldfrysk it's [ɛi], so in this dialect there is no difference between <ei> and <ij>. In Klaaifrysk on the other hand, <ei> is pronounced [aːi] or [ɔːi], so in this case there is no difference between <ei> and <aai>.

[zabzababz]

Tanke wol!
That helps clear things up a lot. I should learn IPA to make what I'm saying clearer though... I like this language because it has so many different vowel sounds, but sometimes it gets confusing when all I have is audio files and not a real person. I'm also enjoy learning about dialects, so your info is very interesting.

One quick question though... I've heard of North Frisian and East and West Frisian but where are (Wood Frisian) and (Clay Frisian) spoken? Are they just different names for the north and west dialects, or are they other dialects with no geographical restrictions?

[Dminor]

Actually Wood and Clay Frisian are dialects of West Frisian. You can read a little more about it on Wikipedia.

[dorenda]

Ik bin in pear dagen lyn yn Fryslân west, mar ik haw mear Dútsk als Frysk heard.

[Boes]

Ik bin in pear dagen lyn yn Fryslân west, mar ik haw mear Dútsk als Frysk heard.

Bij mij komen ze ook al weer voorbij in hun Audi's, BMW's en Hymers.

[Dminor]

Ik bin haw in pear dagen lyn yn Fryslân west, mar ik haw mear Dútsk als as Frysk heard.

Nuver. Wêr hast krekt west? Wie it dy lykwols nei it sin?

[dorenda]

Ach, er waren gewoon een hoop Duitse toeristen. Ik ben van Stavoren langs de kust naar Lemmer gefietst en vandaar verder naar Overijssel. En ja, ik heb het best naar m'n zin gehad hoor. Vooral Gaasterland vond ik erg mooi. (Sorry voor het Nederlands, Fries schrijven duurt echt héél lang. )

[Spaigelploatje]

Om even terug te komen op het getal drie, oftelwel trije. Ik ben praktisch opgegroeid in Kornhorn, en heb altijd gevoetbald in Opende (De Peen), of voor de echte Friezen: De Grinzer Pein. Hier zeggen ze trouwens treejuh, en zover ik weet zegt men dat in Drachten ook.

In Opende spreken ze trouwens echt een combo van Woudfries met Gronings. Al voelt men zich daar meer Fries.

[Dminor]

Grappig, het kan wel kloppen wat je zegt. Kornhorn en Opende zitten precies op de rand van het Woudfriese taalgebied (=treje ipv trije), maar binnen de grenzen van Groningen. Ik heb trouwens familie in Surhuisterveen (en Kollum).

[yverish]

it is hjir al in skoftsje rêstich, mar ik ha my toch mar opjoun foar dizze "website" (hawwe wy dêr al in kreas Frysk wurd foar?). ik bin in "native speaker" sa te sizzen, it Frysk is myn memmetaal. skrieuwen wurd al in stik slimmer, mar giet noch wol aardich tocht ik sa...

at jimme help nedich hawwe by it Frysk dan meie jim my altiid freegje, dan sil ik myn bêst dwaan jo dêrmei te helpen

(Tip: http://www.hallofryslan.nl/hallo_fryslan_ hat wol in aardich online Frysk-Hollânsk, Hollânsk-Frysk wurdboek)

---

it has been quiet around here for some time, but I've still decided to join this "website" (I'm wondering if we have a decent Frisian word for it). I'm a native speaker of the Frisian language, started to learn Dutch since I went to school (as it should be ). Writing Frysk is more difficult, but I think I'm doing quite well...

If you need any help considering Frysk you may always ask me and I'll do my best to help you.

(Tip: http://www.hallofryslan.nl/hallo_fryslan_ has a very decent online Frisian-Dutch, Dutch-Frisian dictionairy)

[csjc]

Bedankt voor de link. De Friese taal is inderdaad erg interessant.
Als een 'native speaker', hebt u misschien zou kunnen helpen ons allemaal.

[Guybrush]

Hjirby mar myn earste reaksje,

Ik bin Binne Reitsma en ik wenje yn Droegeham, ik bin mei it Frysk grutbrocht, ha in Fryske Heit en in Fryske Mem mar eins ha ik nea echt Frysk leare skriuwen, wol lêze al is it soms al wat neitinke.. ik ha it mysels wat oan leard al sille der noch oergriiselik protte fouten yn sitte, marja wat wolst ek? 10 jier lyn wenne der eins gjin Hollâners minsken yn Droegeham (op in pear nei), hjoed de dei sawysa wol in kwart en dér matte wy Frysken ús oan oanpasse mei as úteins gefolg dat it Frysk steads mear fuort rekket.

Ik fynt dan echt machtich moai om te lêzen dat der minsken oer de hiele wrâld ynteresse yn it Frysk hawwe.. wylst ik echt miende dat it hast útstoarn wie..

Hereby my first post,

My name is Binne Reitsma and I live in Drogeham (The Netherlands), i'm born and raised in Frisian, got a Frisian Mom and a Frisian Dad but I never learned to write Frisian, I did learned to read it but sometimes I still have a little trouble finding the propper translation.
I tried to learn it myself but there are still enough writing errors, But ehh, wat do you expect ?
10 year ago there were barrely Dutch people in Drogeham (a few), Today the day more than a quarter of the population in Drogeham.. and we Frisians need to adjust to them with the consequens that the Frisian language is losing ground fast.

Then I found this website and I seriously are wondered by the fact that people all around the world are interested in the Frisian language.. and that while I thought that Frisians are becoming extincted..


Sorry for my bad translation.. Its not a straight translation and I added en deleted a few words.. but I'ts about the same thing just with a couple of other words

I guess I'll have to learn more Turkish so you can't understand me then.

How much would you recommend me to learn Dutch before Frisian? I'm guessing there are a lot of resources in Dutch, seeing the languages are really close, and spoken in the same small country.

I'd prefer to learn Frisian, but I'm afraid I'd have to learn Dutch first, or at least learn to read Dutch.

There's nothing wrong with Dutch, and I'm pretty interested in it, but I prefer Frisian.

Dutch is really more difficult then Frisian.. Every few years they change the spelling and spellingrules.. so it's really difficult to keep up.

I've got a stepbrother and a stepmother from White Russia (yeah my dad likes Russians ) but they also said that Frisian is more easy to learn and especially speak..

The thing I really find terrible about the Frisians is that almost no one gives a crap about the Frisian language.. they speak it because they learn it from there parrents.. but almost nobody knows how to wright, speak it correctly and even read it.. My little brother doesn't even know how to read Frisian and it's really easy..

[Dminor]

Wolkom, Guybrush! Ik bin tige bliid dy hjir te sjen! Wy ha al in skoft gjin memmetaalsprekkers mear hân hjirre. Dêrby bin ik ek in grutte fan fan Monkey Island Kist noch ris wat oer dysels fertelle? En sist wol Wâldfrysk prate, net? Hast op skoalle ûnderwiis yn it Frysk hân of wie dat hielendal yn it Hollânsk?

About the difference in difficulty, one noticeable difference between Dutch and Frisian is the fact that Frisian has two conjugations, whereas Dutch (and all other modern Germanic languages) has only one. In this respect Dutch is easier.

[Muisje]

...mar eins ha ik nea echt Frysk leare skriuwen...

Wait, what? Since when does Frisian do that? Or is it just a matter of dialects, maybe..

Oh and, wolkom

[Guybrush]

Wolkom, Guybrush! Ik bin tige bliid dy hjir te sjen! Wy ha al in skoft gjin memmetaalsprekkers mear hân hjirre. Dêrby bin ik ek in grutte fan fan Monkey Island Kist noch ris wat oer dysels fertelle? En sist wol Wâldfrysk prate, net? Hast op skoalle ûnderwiis yn it Frysk hân of wie dat hielendal yn it Hollânsk?

About the difference in difficulty, one noticeable difference between Dutch and Frisian is the fact that Frisian has two conjugations, whereas Dutch (and all other modern Germanic languages) has only one. In this respect Dutch is easier.

He Dminor,

Machtich dast do ek in Monkey Island fan bist,
Fierder oer mysels :
Ik bin 19 jier
Wurkje op'e Skeepsloperij fan myn Heit
Bin oergriiselik gek op alles wat hurd giet en 2 tsjillen hat en lûd is

Ik bin yndied in Wâldpyk en ha wol Fryske les op skoalle hân.. marja toen wie ik tusken de 8 en 11 jier yn.. It yntreseare my yn dy tiid eins hielendal neat.. wêr't ik no eins wol spyt fan ha.
Mar oan'e oare kant doch ik wol myn bêst om it Frysk te learen wat in hiele protte by my út omjouwing net doche..

De measten skriuwe eins frysk op san wiize :

Ik ha last von mien holle en deer ken ik niks oan dwan.. oergriiselik om te lêzen marja lyket krekt grênslâners..

...mar eins ha ik nea echt Frysk leare skriuwen...

Wait, what? Since when does Frisian do that? Or is it just a matter of dialects, maybe..

Oh and, wolkom

That's what I mean with the fact that Frisian is becoming extincted.. more dutch words an sentences are combined.. Even I make that mistake.. but It's programmed into us ..

[Reinder]

Hoi allegearre,

Sa te hearren binne jim hjir hiel bliid mei minsken dy't it Frysk as memmetaal hawwe.
No, hjir is der wer ien hear. Miskien is it ek wol aardich om wat oer mysels te fertelle.
Ik bin Reinder, ik bin 16 jier âld en ik bin berne yn Fryslân, oarspronklik yn'e Tsjongerskâns, mar ik wenje al myn hiele libben op'e Tynje (tusken it Hearrenfean en Drachten yn).
Ik hâld ûntsettend protte fan talen, it is echt om hobby wurden om ferskate talen te learen. Op dit stuit bin ik drok bezich mei it Ingelsk, Dútsk en Frânsk, omdat ik dat no op skoalle ha. Mar ik fin it ek ûntsettend leuk om wat Sweedsk te leare yn myn frije tiid. Thús praat ik Standertfrysk mei myn mem en sus, op skoalle (yn it Hearrenfean) praat ik Standertfrysk en Klaaifrysk, hinget der fanôf tsjin wa't ik praat en op myn wurk (yn Drachten) praat ik Wâldfrysk, dus ik krij genôch fan'e ferskate dialekten mei.
No, mochten jim noch wat freegje wolle, dat kin altyd.

Oant sjen.

-------------

Hello everybody,

It seems that you are really happy to see native Frisian speakers in here.
Here's another one again, haha. Maybe it's also nice to introduce myself.
I am Reinder, I am 16 years old and I'm born in Friesland, originally in the hospital of Heerenveen, but I've been living in Tijnje (between Heerenveen and Drachten) for my whole life.
I really adore languages, it really became a hobby to learn different languages. At the moment I'm very busy learning English, German and French, because I have those languages at school. But I also enjoy learning some Swedish in my spare time. At home I speak standard Frisian with my mother and sister, at school (in Heerenveen) I speak standard Frisian and Clay Frisian, it depends on the person I speak to en at my job (in Drachten) I speak Wood Frisian, so I get to know a lot of different Frisian dialects.
If you want to ask something to me, that's always possible.

See you.

[dorenda]

Hoi Reinder, wolkom by Unilang!