Urban Frisian refers to the group of hybrid languages that developed in the larger cities of Friesland. Although the languages of cities such as Leeuwarden (Ljouwert), Harlingen (Harns), Sneek (Snits) and Bolsward (Boalsert) are identifiably different, each is a mix of Frisian lexicon, pronunciation and grammar with that of Dutch. The largest group who use Urban Frisian as their mother tongue is in Leeuwarden, where the Urban Frisian variety known as “Liwwadders” is used regularly by some 20,000 speakers. For many years, the Leeuwarder Courant ran a column in Liwwadders called “Onder ’t klokje” (“under the clock”), a reference to the old, inner city where “true” Liwwadder people lived.
Lexically, Liwwadders draws from Frisian and Dutch, as well as having some of its own unique variants. The English word ‘too’ (as well) in Frisian is ek, in Dutch is ook and in Liwwadders is oek. ‘Mother’ is moeder in Dutch, mem in Frisian and moeke in Liwwarders. ‘Granny’ in Frisian is beppe, in Dutch is oma and in Liwwadders is opoe. In Liwwarders, verbs tend to follow the Frisian pattern of not using the prefix ge-, but often use the Dutch root. For example, ‘knotted’ in Frisian is knottet, in Dutch geknoopt and in Liwwarders knoopt. ‘Waited’ is respectively wachtsjet, gewacht and wacht. Although by no means a hard and fast rule, often where Dutch uses ui (huis, kluis, gruis), Frisian uses û (hûs, klûs, grûs), it is quite common for Liwwarders then to use ú (hús, klús, grús).
With the increasing popularity of Frisian as the regional language; the common use of English as the lingua franca; and the use of Dutch as the language of schools and the media, Liwwarders is in danger of becoming a thing of the past. Part of the problem is that Liwwarders is still often considered uncouth, even by its native speakers, who revert to “proper” Dutch for matters beyond immediate kith and kin. Frisian speakers tend not to consider it highly either. Nonetheless for a substantial number of Frisians it remains oanze moekestaal (“our mother tongue”).
Authors: Andrys Onsman and Tjomme Bleeker, 2002
Sample
Source: Babeloebe http://www.gemeentearchief.nl/galgelappers.html (ú written as uu)
Translator: Andrys Onsman
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Mutte jum’es lústere! Dan sa’k jum fertelle, hoe ’t de Liwwadders an har bijnaam fan ‘galgelappers’ komen binne. Eertieds hadden alle steden in Friesland, en oek de groatere dorpen daar ’t rechthuus fan ’e grietenij ston, it recht fan galg en rad, sô as dat toen hiette. Met andere woarden: in die plakken mochten en moesten kriminelen, moardenaars, branstichters en andersoartig gespús, foor sôver a’tse daar, of in ’e onderhoarichhied fan die plakken hun misdaden begaan hadden, oek ophongen wudde an’e galg. |
Listen, and I’ll tell you about how the people of Leeuwarden got their nickname of gallows-patchers (“galgelappers”). In former times, every city in Fryslân, as well as any large town with its own local jurisdiction, had its own “gallows rights” as it was then called. In other words, criminals, murderers, arsonists and other types of miscreants had to be hanged on the gallows of the places where they had committed their misdeeds. |
Further information: http://www.lowlands-l.net (Click on “Resources” and on “Links” or “Offline Material”.)
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