![Friso-Saxon Languages](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Friso-Saxon_Languages.PNG)
Friso-Saxon ( nl, friso-saksisch) is a group of
West Germanic
The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three branches of the Germanic family of languages (the others being the North Germanic and the extinct East Germanic languages). The West Germanic branch is classically subdivided into ...
dialects found around the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
coast of
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, in an area historically known as
Frisia. They are dialects of
Low German/Low Saxon which have experienced strong influence from a
Frisian language. The term was established by the Dutch researcher Johan Winkler in his work about Dutch, Low German and Frisian dialects in the region. In the following decades the term was adopted by some of Winkler's successors.
[cf. Hoppenbrouwers, Cornelis Antonius Johannes / Hoppenbrouwers, Geer A. J. (2001): De indeling van de Nederlandse streektalen - dialecten van 156 steden en dorpen geklasseerd volgens de FFM. Assen, S. 50ff.]
Most of the Friso-Saxon dialects are spoken in areas which were historically Frisian-speaking, until Frisian was gradually replaced with Low Saxon beginning in the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...
. However, Frisian has remained as a
substratum since then in the regions concerned. The only exception to this rule is
Stellingwarfs, a Low Saxon dialect which has undergone influence especially from
West Frisian. Most of the other Friso-Saxon dialects underwent most influence from
East Frisian, for example
East Frisian Low Saxon
East Frisian Low German or East Frisian Low Saxon is one of the Northern Low Saxon dialects, a West Low German dialect spoken in the East Frisian peninsula of northwestern Lower Saxony. It is used quite frequently in everyday speech there. Ab ...
and
Gronings
Gronings (; gos, Grunnegs or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East ...
, while the dialect of
Dithmarschen dialect underwent most influence from
North Frisian.
See also
*
East Frisia
*
Frisians
References
{{reflist
Low German
Frisian languages
Languages of the Netherlands
Languages of Germany