Friesland
/ˈfriːzlənd/noun
A province in the northern Netherlands and the traditional homeland of the Frisian people.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from the ancient Frisii, a Germanic coastal people whose identity endured so strongly that their descendants still preserve one of Europe’s closest living relatives to English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Frīsōz
“The Frisian people”
Roman Era
Latin
Frisii
“The Frisii, a coastal Germanic tribe living along the North Sea”
Old Dutch / Old Frisian
Old Germanic
Frīsia
“The land of the Frisians”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
Vriesland
“Friesland; land of the Frisians”
Modern English
English
Friesland
“The Dutch province of Friesland”