We were looking for the part of the world where Frisian is spoken. The World's David Leveille took on the challenge of finding a Frisian speaker and the answer.

Frisian is the language spoken in Frisia. It's just one of the world's 6,000 or so languages. Many of those languages are pretty rare; in fact linguists say the majority are under threat of disappearing. For example, one Amazonian language has just one speaker left.

Frisia

Frisian by comparison is doing pretty well says Frisian journalist Ono Falkeva:

“I'm living in Friesland and Friesland is in the north of the Netherlands so at the border of the North Sea.”

So Friesland is a province in the Netherlands near the southeastern corner of the North Sea. And, is part of the bigger region known as Frisia. Frisia extends from the Netherlands across north western Germany and into the southwest corner of Denmark. The language spoken in these parts is interesting for its close connection to English.

“In the past the Frisians were neighboring people of the Angles and Saxons before they crossed the North Sea to conquer England, Great Britain and that's supposedly why Frisian and English are quite the same...people familiar with Shakespearean English did not say you have thou hast well in Frisian we still say dou hast that's you have in Frisian.”

So "thou hast" is one phrase and there are other Frisian words that have English counterparts, for example:

“cheeseee”

That means cheese, as in smile for the camera – its spelled t-s-y-y-s

A good place to hear spoken Frisian is on Frisian public radio (via the internet)...it's all Frisian all the time.

There are daily programs about ordinary Frisians and their hobbies, news, weather and sports coverage of pole vaulting competitions.....pole vaultings a useful sport. It used to some in handy to cross the Friesland's many canals.

Radio Friesland also hosts a song competition designed to keep the language and culture alive. It encourages local bands to sing in Frisian.

Here's a winning entry from a rock and roll band called Von Weiran the song is called “Nihm dee teet”. Which in Frisian means take your time...it's about a young lady who takes too much time to fall in love.

“Nim de teet means take your time...people do not like to be in a hurry.”

The leaves are changing color this time of year along the southern coast of the North Sea. Ono Falkena says he's "not in a hurry" for autumn to pass but when it does, he's hoping for lots of snow and ice, because he says, all Frieslanders love to skate along the canals.