The Germanic Language Family Tree, Explained Branch by Branch
English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Frisian and Icelandic all come from one ancestor. Here is how the Germanic family tree fits together.
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Why Does Dutch Sound So Weird? The Sounds Behind the “Drunk English” Joke
Dutch looks like English on paper and sounds like German after midnight. Here is where that strange mix comes from.
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Why English Has So Many French Words (And Two Words for Every Farm Animal)
Cow and beef, pig and pork, sheep and mutton. The split goes back to 1066, and it explains a big part of English vocabulary.
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Frisian Onomatopoeia: The Words That Sound Like What They Mean (And They’re Hilarious)
Every language has words that sound like what they mean. You know the ones. Buzz. Splash. Meow….
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Frisian Naming Days: The Calendar Tradition Where Saints and Babies Share a Birthday
Here’s something you probably never knew existed: Friesland has a whole calendar system where almost every single…
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Frisian Milk Culture: The Dairy Obsession That Built a Province
You think you know dairy culture? You haven’t met the Frisians. These people turned milk into an…
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Frisian Candy: The Sweet Treats That Prove Sugar Speaks Frisian
Friesland has a sweet tooth. And it’s not just any sweet tooth. It’s the kind that has…
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Frisian Lace: The Delicate Art That Nearly Vanished in a Generation
There’s a craft in Friesland that once made grandmothers into local celebrities and turned plain fabric into…
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Frisian Greetings: The Wild Ways Frisians Say Hello (And Why They’re Better Than English)
English has basically one way to greet someone: “Hello.” Maybe “Hi” if you’re feeling casual. “Hey” if…
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Frisian Addresses: The Confusing System That Makes Mail Delivery an Adventure
If you’ve ever tried to send mail to someone in rural Friesland, you might have noticed something…
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Frisian Medieval Laws Were So Weird They Made the Rest of Europe Look Boring
While most of medieval Europe was busy being conquered by kings and emperors, the Frisians were out…
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Frisian Sentence Structure Does Something Weird With Verbs (And It’ll Trip You Up Every Time)
So you’ve decided to learn Frisian. You’ve mastered a few basic words. You understand the pronunciation somewhat….
