Frisian

[Eduard Selleslagh]

[ moderator re-formatted ]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Max Dashu" <maxdashu at LanMinds.Com>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 3:18 AM

> Ed Selleslagh writes,

>> I'm anything but a specialist in Frisian, but I hear and read some from
>> time to time.

> Nevertheless, I'm going to ask you if you know anything about the
> distribution of Frisian in medieval times. I've read that it extended over
> more of the Netherlands than currently, and also towards Denmark.

> Max Dashu

[Ed Selleslagh]
I'm afraid I can't tell you much more, except that:

-it is generally accepted that West-Flemish dialect (the oldest source of
literary Dutch, spoken from the Scheldt mouth to Dunkirk) is related to
Frisian. It is still the most archaic one.

-Frisian is also spoken (of course) in German E. Friesland and - I believe -
also on the German and Dutch coastal islands.

I think Miguel Carrasquer once wrote a well-informed e-mail to this list on the
subject of the coastal spread of Ingwaeonic/Frisian and its dating.

Ed.