[The Face of Dutch]

Hear Frisian Here

Hear in Frisian:
[In elementary (lower) school ...
was actually the first time we came across (had to deal with) Dutch ...
and there we learned Dutch ...
actually Dutch was a foreign language for us.] 		Hear Dutch translation:
Op de lagere school ...
was 't eigenlijk de eerste keer dat we met Nederlands te maken kregen ...
en daar hebben we dus Nederlands geleerd ...
eigenlijk was Nederlands dus een vreemde taal voor ons.
[A map of Holland, showing the province of Friesland]
Friesland in The Netherlands
A map of The Netherlands

Frisian

Frisian is nowadays only spoken by about a quarter of a million people in the North of Holland and a few pockets in Germany and Denmark.
It is said that speakers of Frisian have little difficulty reading Old English: Frisian is closely related to the language of the Angles and Saxons that crossed the North Sea to England ca 500 AD/CE; but then there were 1500 years of separate development, English was greatly changed by the languages of the Vikings and the French of the Norman invaders, and Frisian was even more massively influenced by many centuries of Dutch rule.

hear:
[... and Harlingen is a port, a fishing town actually ... often ships would come from England and ...]

hear:
[During The War [WWII], there were some very cold winters, the sea froze and ice floes were pushed over the levee - a beautiful sight that I've not seen again.]

hear:
[... (about regional varieties of Frisian.)]

The Lord's Prayer ('Our Father.' Matthew 6:9-13)

English Frisian Dutch
Our Father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.

 Us Heit yn 'e himel,
Lit jo namme hillige wurde
hear		 Onze Vader die in de hemelen zijt,
uw naam worde geheiligd;
hear
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
in earth, as it is done in heaven.

 Lit yo keninkryk komme,
lit jo wil dien wurde
op ierde likegoed as yn 'e himel.
hear 		uw Koninkrijk kome;
uw wil geschiede,
gelijk in de hemel alzo ook op de aarde.
hear
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.

 Jou ús hjoed ús deistich brea
en ferjou ús ús skulden
sa't wy ús skuldners ek ferjûn hawwe;
hear		 Geef ons heden ons dagelijks brood;
en vergeef ons onze schulden,
gelijk ook wij vergeven onze schuldenaren;
hear
And lead us not in temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

 en lit ús net yn fersiking komme,
mar ferlos ús fan 'e kweade;
hear		 en leid ons niet in verzoeking,
maar verlos ons van de boze.
hear
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever. Amen.

 want jowes is it keninkryk
en de krêft
en de hearlikheid
oant yn ivichheid. Amen.
hear		 Want Uwer is het Koninkrijk
en de kracht
en de heerlijkheid
in de eeuwigheid. Amen.
hear

hear in full hear in full


Read by Gerben Sipma

Compare with Gothic and Old English
Roman Catholic and Ecumenical Versions of The Dutch Our Father (recommended)

Ecclesiastes 12: 8-14

English

 Frisian
(Preker)		 Dutch
(Prediker)
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher;
all is vanity

Neat mei neat, seit de Preker,
it is allegear neat.
hear 		IJdelheid der ijdelheden, zegt de Prediker,
Alles is ijdel!
hear
And moreover, because the preacher was wise
he still taught the people knowledge;
Yea, he gave good heed and sought out,
and set in order many proverbs.

 De Preker wie net allinich sels wiis,
hy hat it folk ek wysheid brocht;
hy naam de dingen yn berie en ûndersocht se
en hy stelde gâns spreuken op.
hear 		De Prediker was niet alleen een wijs man voor zichzelf,
Hij leerde ook wijsheid aan zijn volk;
Veel spreuken heeft hij gewikt,
overdacht en gedicht.
hear - take 2
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words
and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

De Preker socht nei wurden, dy't deryn falle,
hy skreau rjocht op 'e man ôf en wier.
hear 		De Prediker wist puntige gezegden te vinden,
en rake spreuken op schrift te stellen.
hear
The words of the wise are as goads,
and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies,
which are given from one shepherd.

De wurden fan 'e wizen binne puntich,
se lykje op rigen djip ynsleine spikers,
se binne ynjûn troch ien-en-deselde Hoeder.
hear 		Want als prikkels zijn de woorden der wijzen,
Als krammen in de muur, waaraan men alles kan ophangen;
Door één en dezelfde Leidsman zijn zij gegeven!
hear
And further, by these, my son, be admonished:
of making many books there is no end;
and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

 By einsluten, myn soan, lit dy warskôgje:
Der komt gjin ein oan it skriuwen fan in heap boeken
En gâns stúdzje makket de lea wurch.
hear 		Ten slotte, mijn zoon, wees voorzichtig:
Men kan boeken schrijven zonder eind,
Maar veel studeren vermoeit het vlees.
hear
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.

 Fan al wat der te hearren wie, is dit it einbeslút:
Haw ûntsach foar God en nim syn geboaden yn acht,
Dat past alle minsken.
hear 		Alles wel overwogen is dit de conclusie:
Vrees God, en onderhoud zijn geboden,
want dit is eerst de hele mens.
hear
For God shall bring every work into judgement,
with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil

 Want God sil al ús dwaan yn it oardiel bringe,
al wat ferburgen is,
it goede likefolle as it kweade.
hear 		Van ieder werk, al is het nog zo verborgen,
Zal God oordelen,
of het goed was, of kwaad!
hear




hear in full

hear in full
read by Gerben Sipma
Compare with Dutch Protestant Version

The Literature:
Orrin W. Robinson:
Old English and Its Closest Relatives

You might also be interested in hearing:

English, Dutch and German Words from a Common Root
Hebrew Words in Dutch

Useful Phrases and Words for travelers and visitors
Everyday Dutch for basic reading and conversation

Dutch Names Pronounced
Names and 'Old' Spelling (with Samples)

Sailors and Ships of the 17th Century
Vermeer's World - Rembrandt
Old New York

Longer Dutch Texts Read

On Pronouncing Dutch
and Exercise in Dutch Pronunciation

Frisian Names: Girls' (Meisjes) - Boys' (Jongens)

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