Frisian, Northern

Conjugate Verbs

Introduction

North Frisian is a minority language of Germany, spoken by about 10,000 people in North Frisia.

The closest relatives of North Frisian are the two other Frisian languages, the Saterland Frisian and the West Frisian language spoken in the northern Netherlands. Together these three form the group of Frisian languages.

Dialects

The North Frisian dialects can be grouped into two main dialectal divisions: those of the mainland and the insular dialects.

Insular North Frisian

• Sylt Frisian (Söl'ring)
• Föhr-Amrum Frisian (Fering/Öömrang)
• Heligolandic Frisian (Halunder)

Mainland North Frisian

• Wiedingharde Frisian
• Bökingharded Frisian (Mooring)
• Karrharde Frisian
• Northern Goesharder Frisian (Hoorning)
• Central Goesharder Frisian
• Southern Goesharder Frisian (extinct since 1981)
• Halligen Frisian

The verb

The North Frisian verb has:

• 2 grammatical moods: indicative and imperative;
• 2 simple tenses: present and past;
• 2 grammatical numbers: singular and plural;
• 3 grammatical persons: first person, second person, and third person.

Sample verb weese 'to be'

This sample represents the Bökingharded Frisian (Mooring) dialect.

	INDICATIVE		IMPERATIVE
	Present	Past
Sg.1	ban	wus	-
Sg.2	bast	wjarst	?
Sg.3	as	wus	-
Plural	san	wjarn	?

Verblist

aarberi, apschriwe, apskriiw, auriit, baag, baak, baast, bad, bade, bage, ber, beskriiw, bilewi, bin, bine, binj, bit, bite, bitj, bjarste, bliiv, bliiw, bliwe, blä, blädje, blö, booge, breeg, breege, breek, briange, bring, bränge, bååge, bārst, dial, diile, diili, dooge, drainke, drank, dreeg, dreege, drink, drinke, du, duug, däär, dö, döre, dört, döög, düünj, faal, feel, ferjeese, ferjid, ferkuupe, ferlees, ferliise, ferteele, fine, finj, fleete, fliinj, flä, flö, fo, forlees, fraage, fraagi, freege, friis, friise, froage, frååge, früüs, fu, fåle, fööl, füünj, greev, greew, greewe, grip, gripe, gung, gunge, haa, halep, heelpe, heewe, help, het, hiire, hiitje, hoowe, hual, hüülje, iidj, iit, iiv, jeewe, jiiw, jooge, kaame, kem, ken, kiike, koone, koopi, krep, kriipe, kum, kuupe, kääre, kön, kööge, kööki, laap, lade, leeg, leer, lees, leese, leet, let, liiwe, luup, luupe, lätje, löög, maage, maaki, mafliinj, mai, meet, mei, molke, molki, mooge, moolke, mut, mätje, mååge, mölke, möt, mötje, naame, nem, ouftüünj, pluuge, pluugi, reene, rep, ride, ridj, riin, rir, röp, sai, sat, sate, schale, schiinj, schiitje, schit, schite, schriwe, schunge, schük, se, seede, set, sii, siinj, siis, sjit, sjuk, ske, skel, skit, skitj, skriiv, skriiw, skä, slüünj, spaale, spreege, sterev, sterew, stride, stridj, strir, stärwe, stönje, sä, säke, taatji, tau, taui, teenk, teev, teew, tiinj, täär, tånke, töre, tört, tüünj, uunkem, uur, uuremi, waase, wale, wan, wark, wed, wees, weese, weet, wel, wen, wiis, wine, wurd, wårde, ääse, önjfånge, önjkiike, öönfange, öösme, ütgung, ütgunge, ütjgung, āpskriiv.