West Frisians
Encyclopedia
The West Frisians or, more precisely, the Westlauwers Frisians (Westlauwers'sche Friesen) are those Frisian
peoples in that part of Frisia
administered by the Netherlands
. This region, the Province of Friesland, is bounded in the west by the IJsselmeer
and in the east by the River Lauwers. In Germany it is often frequently misnamed "West Frisia" (Westfriesland) because the German part is called "East Frisia" (Ostfriesland), hence the incorrect term "West Frisians" (Westfriesen). In the Netherlands the term West-Friezen is only used to refer to the inhabitants of the region of West Friesland
and not to the Westlauwers Frisians.
The Westerlauwers Frisians are related to the North Frisians
and the eastern Frisians (East Frisians
, Saterland Frisians
etc.). Whilst the East Frisians had lost their Frisian language by the late Middle Ages, of the 660,000 or so Frisians in the Netherlands, more than 400,000 still speak West Frisian
.
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
peoples in that part of Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
administered by the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. This region, the Province of Friesland, is bounded in the west by the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....
and in the east by the River Lauwers. In Germany it is often frequently misnamed "West Frisia" (Westfriesland) because the German part is called "East Frisia" (Ostfriesland), hence the incorrect term "West Frisians" (Westfriesen). In the Netherlands the term West-Friezen is only used to refer to the inhabitants of the region of West Friesland
West Friesland (region)
West Friesland is a contemporary region in the northwestern Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The region covers an area of about , delineated by the Westfriese Omringdijk...
and not to the Westlauwers Frisians.
The Westerlauwers Frisians are related to the North Frisians
North Frisians
North Frisians are, in the wider sense, the inhabitants of the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein. In a narrower sense they are an ethnic sub-group of the Frisians from North Frisia and on Heligoland....
and the eastern Frisians (East Frisians
East Frisians
East Frisians are, in the wider sense, the inhabitants of East Frisia in the northwest of the German state of Lower Saxony. In the narrower sense the East Frisians are the eastern branch of the Frisians, a Germanic people and belong, together with the Danes, Sorbs, Sinti and Romanies to the...
, Saterland Frisians
Saterland Frisians
The Saterland Frisians are one of the smallest language groups in Europe. They belong to the eastern branch of the Frisian people and are thus a recognised minority within Germany...
etc.). Whilst the East Frisians had lost their Frisian language by the late Middle Ages, of the 660,000 or so Frisians in the Netherlands, more than 400,000 still speak West Frisian
West Frisian language
West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
.