The Anglo-Frisian languages are a proposed sub-branch of the West Germanic languages encompassing the Anglic languages and the Frisian languages. The relationship had considerable historical support, but many modern scholars have criticized it as a valid phylogenetic grouping, holding instead that the Ingvaeonic languages formed a dialect continuum along the North Sea that diverged into Old English, Pre-Old Frisian and Old Saxon during the Migration Period of the 5th century. Some linguists still argue for an Anglo-Frisian node, citing archaeological and genetic evidence for contact between the two groups.
Facts
RegionNorth Sea coast: Great Britain (England and Scotland) for the Anglic branch, and the Netherlands and Germany for the Frisian branch 1 Proto-Language StatusA proposed sub-branch of West Germanic uniting Anglic and Frisian. Many modern scholars reject it as a valid phylogenetic grouping, favoring instead an Ingvaeonic dialect continuum that diverged into Old English, Pre-Old Frisian and Old Saxon during the Migration Period. 1 Partially Attested
Speaker CountFigure is for the Frisian branch alone, about 500,000 speakers per this source; the source gives no combined total including the larger Anglic (English) branch. Connections
Ancestor Of
Anglic groups English and Scots within Anglo-Frisian, as distinct from the separate Frisian branch.
Frisian (West, East and North Frisian) is the sister branch to Anglic within Anglo-Frisian.
Descends From
Anglo-Frisian groups English and Frisian within West Germanic, sharing sound changes (such as the Anglo-Frisian brightening) not shared with continental West Germanic.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Europe, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Frisia, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Anglo-Frisian Languages
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia Anglo-Frisian languages, Geography paragraph
Geography isolated the settlers of Great Britain from Continental Europe, except from contact with communities capable of open water navigation.
Wikipedia Anglo-Frisian languages, lead paragraph, sentence 2
While this relationship had considerable support historically, many modern scholars have criticized it as a valid phylogenetic grouping.
Wikipedia, Frisian languages section: Anglo-Frisian languages
The Frisian languages are a group of languages spoken by about 500,000 Frisian people on the southern fringes of the North Sea in the Netherlands and Germany.
View the Source Wikidata: Anglo-Frisian languages
Wikidata Q5329170, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
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