West Frisian (Frysk, [-nlˈʋɛstərˌlʌuərs ˈfris]) is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland (Fryslân) in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside of the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian, which are spoken in Germany. Within the Netherlands however, the West Frisian language is the language of the province of Friesland and is almost always called simply "Frisian": Fries in Dutch, and Frysk in Frisian; Westfries (literally: West Frisian) is the Dutch name of the dialect of the Dutch language spoken in West Friesland, a region in the province of North Holland. For this Dutch dialect see: West Frisian dialect.
The 'official' name used by linguists in the Netherlands to indicate the West Frisian language is Westerlauwers Fries (West Lauwers Frisian), the Lauwers being a border stream which separates the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen.
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