Zeelandic (Zeêuws)

Zeelandic is a Low Franconian language spoken in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland in the south of the Netherlands. In South Holland it is spoken on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the south of the province. It is spoken throughout Zeeland, except in Zeelandic Flanders, which borders Belgium.

There are about 250,000 speakers of Zeelandic, which differs from Standard Dutch to the extent that Dutch speakers unfamiliar with find it difficult to understand. About 60% of the population of Zeeland speak Zeelandic, and in some isolated areas, such as Bruinisse, Arnemuiden and Westkapelle over 90% of those under 20 speak it. In less isolated places where there are more people from other parts of the Netherlands, only the adults speak Zeelandic, and it is not passed on to the children.

There is a movement to get Zeelandic recognised as a regional language under the European Charter for Minority and Regional Languages. So far this has not been succesful.

Zeelandic is used in writing, storytelling, theatre, music, and as an everyday language. The is a Zeelandic-Dutch dicitonary, and a Zeelandic magazine, as well as other projects in Zeelandic.

Zeelandic alphabet and pronunciation

Zeelandic alphabet

Zeelandic pronunciation

Notes

Download an alphabet chart for Zeelandic (Excel)

Details provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Sample texts

Zeêuws is eên taele, Zeêuws eit z'n tuus voraol in de Nederlandse provincie Zeêland, mae de grenzen van 't Zeêuws komme nie glad overeêne mee de grenzen van die provincie. Ok de dialecten van Goereê-Overflakkeê ore bie 't Zeêuws, t'rwiel 'n stik van Zeêuws-Vlaonderen nie Zeêuwstaeleg is.

Source: https://zea.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeêuws

Onzen Vaoder, die in d'n emel zeit,
Laet Je naem heileg henoemd ore
Laet Je konienkriek komme
Laet Je wille hedaen ore
Op de aerde juust zôôas in d'n emel.
Heeft ons heden ons daegeleks brôôd,
Verheeft ons onze schulden,
Juust zoôan ok ons onze schuldenaers verheve è.
En brieng ons nie in verleidienge
Mae verlos ons van d'n Duvel.
Want van Joe is 't konienkriek,
De macht en de grôôteid tot in't einde van d'n tied.
Amen

The Lord's Prayer. Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeuws

Sample videos in Zeelandic

Links

Information about Zeelandic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeelandic
https://zea.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeêuws
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeuws
http://www.ethnologue.com/15/show_language/zea/
https://people.zeelandnet.nl/evenhuis/
https://people.zeelandnet.nl/evenhuis/SturmNL.htm
https://encyclopedievanzeeland.nl/Zeeuwse_spelling

Germanic languages

Afrikaans, Alsatian, Bavarian, Cimbrian, Danish, Dutch, Elfdalian, English, Faroese, Flemish, Frisian (East), Frisian (North), Frisian (Saterland), Frisian (West), German, Gothic, Gottscheerish, Gronings, Hunsrik, Icelandic, Limburgish, Low German, Luxembourgish, Mòcheno, Norn, Norwegian, Old English, Old Norse, Pennsylvania German, Ripuarian, Scots, Shetland(ic), Stellingwarfs, Swabian, Swedish, Swiss German, Transylvanian Saxon, Värmlandic, Wymysorys, Yiddish, Yola, Zeelandic

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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