• In the language itself: Amelands
• ISO 639-3 standard: missing

^{Click here for a full overview of the language vitality colour codes.}

• Classification: Amelands is generally considered a mixed dialect with elements from both Dutch and Frisian. More specifically, it belongs to the group of so-called Stadsfries (‘Town Frisian’) varieties, which are Dutch dialects with a Frisian substrate ¹⁾. The dialects of Ameland and nearby Terschelling (Midslands) developed in similar historical contexts, where Hollandic officials and trading contacts with Holland introduced Dutch features into Frisian-speaking communities, leading to hybridised varieties ²⁾.
• While Western Frisian is classified as Indo-European → West Germanic → North Sea Germanic → Anglo-Frisian → Frisian → Western Frisian, Amelands falls outside this schema due to its mixed nature https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/west2354
• Linguistic features: Amelands shares core traits with other Stadsfries dialects but also shows unique features. One striking difference from mainland Frisian is the use of the initial cluster sch- rather than sk-, a feature it shares with Terschelling and Schiermonnikoog Frisian ³⁾. The vocabulary is predominantly Dutch, while much of its grammar remains Frisian in origin ⁴⁾.
• Script: Latin

There is no officially codified spelling system for Amelands. A 1987 dictionary functions as a de facto spelling reference, but no institution maintains a standardised system ⁵⁾. An experimental orthography was suggested by Oud ⁶⁾, though it remains available only in print, at Tresoar, the Frisian History and Literature Center, and without digital tools ⁷⁾.

Written use of Amelands is scarce. Apart from a monthly column in the local magazine De Amelander, almost no continuous texts are produced. Unlike Frisian, Amelands has no novels or extended prose. The only book consisting largely of Amelands words is the 1987 dictionary, which many households keep as a reference ⁸⁾.

Amelands is spoken exclusively on Ameland, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands in the province of Friesland, with 3,654 inhabitants in 2018 ⁹⁾. The island comprises four villages: Hollum, Ballum, Nes, and Buren. Internal variation divides the island into western and eastern dialect areas, mirroring historical religious divisions: Hollum and Ballum are predominantly Protestant, while Nes and Buren are Catholic ¹⁰⁾.

Linguistically, the western villages preserve more Frisian traits (such as the diminutive suffix -ke and the long vowel /iː/), while the eastern villages show stronger Dutch influence (e.g., diminutive -je, vowel /ɛː/) ¹¹⁾. However, the dialect variation on Ameland is more pronounced than in other mixed dialect regions of Friesland. According to Dyk ¹²⁾, the linguistic divergence between the Protestant west and the Catholic east has been reinforced over centuries and is unusually strong compared to, for example, Het Bildt, where dialect differences between villages are minimal.

Historical evidence also points to west–east asymmetry in the shift from Frisian to the mixed dialect. The Cammingha family, the noble elite based in Ballum, likely played a decisive role in initiating language shift on the island in the sixteenth century ¹³⁾. Early documents suggest that vernacular Dutch gradually replaced Old Frisian from west to east, with Buren being the last area to abandon Frisian ¹⁴⁾. This is supported by differences in vowel realisations: for example, the word tijd appears as tiid in Hollum (west) but as tèèd in the east, reflecting the fact that eastern Amelands developed later and adopted newer Dutch diphthongisation patterns ¹⁵⁾. Thus, Amelands is not only characterised by its mixed Frisian–Dutch features but also by strong internal dialect variation, making it unique among the Frisian mixed dialects.

Figure 1: Map showing Ameland and its different villages ¹⁶⁾

On the 1st of January in 2018, Ameland counted 3.654 inhabitants ¹⁷⁾.

There are four large villages on the island:
• Hollum (1260 inhabitants)
• Ballum (425 inhabitants)
• Nes (1230 inhabitants)
• Buren (715 inhabitants)

Amelands is not permitted as a language of instruction in schools. Dutch is the only classroom language, and teachers, of which most come from the mainland, enforce its use ¹⁸⁾. Frisian is not taught either: although Frisian became compulsory in Friesland schools in 1993, Ameland received a legal dispensation ¹⁹⁾.

The island’s only secondary school, Burgemeester Waldaschool in Nes, provides VMBO and the first three years of HAVO, after which students continue their education on the mainland ²⁰⁾. Primary schools instead focus on eilander cultuur (‘island culture’) through the heemkunde project, rather than Frisian or Amelands ²¹⁾.

The Frisian Academy (Fryske Akademy), funded partly by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, partly by the Province of Fryslân, and partly by private contributions, has played a central role in documenting Frisian varieties. It produced the 1987 Amelands dictionary and continues to research and codify dialects. The dictionary, along with the regular dialect column in magazine De Amelander, has contributed to the written presence of the dialect ²²⁾.

Cultural expression also extends to music, cabaret, and local theatre productions that occasionally use Amelands ²³⁾. In the beginning of the 2000s, young speakers first created a modest digital footprint through SMS and MSN messaging in the dialect ²⁴⁾. Moreover, field recordings are archived in the Meertens Institute’s Spraakmakende kaart (‘speaking map’) project and remain accessible online.

Frisian is recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ^{25) 26)}, which obliges the Netherlands to promote Frisian in education, media, and public life. However, Amelands is not covered by the Charter. Similarly, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities makes no reference to the Amelands community.

Consequences of this lack of recognition include the absence of binding obligations for Dutch authorities to protect or promote the dialect. Unlike Frisian, there are no state-backed measures for Amelands in schools, no subsidies for cultural production, and no formal structures to guarantee intergenerational transmission. This leaves the dialect’s vitality dependent on local initiatives and informal use, rather than structural policy support ²⁷⁾.

Dutch law requires Frisian to be taught in Friesland schools, but Ameland is explicitly exempt. This exemption means that Amelands receives no statutory recognition in education and is not permitted as a medium of instruction ²⁸⁾. The law does not require Amelands to be taught, nor does it make space for it to be used as a teaching language. Instead, Dutch remains the sole classroom medium, while Frisian and Amelands are confined to informal use on the playground or at home ²⁹⁾.

Local initiatives fill part of this gap. The heemkunde project introduces pupils to island culture, including occasional references to Amelands, and the foundation De Ouwe Pôlle publishes local cultural material ³⁰⁾. Yet these activities are cultural rather than legal guarantees.

There are no legal acts or formal policy measures at the municipal level specifically recognising Amelands. Unlike Frisian, which enjoys provincial and national protection, Amelands is supported only through voluntary initiatives. Local organisations such as De Ouwe Pôlle and cultural platforms like the newspaper De Amelander play a central role in maintaining visibility of the dialect, but without binding legislation, these efforts remain disunified and uncertain ³¹⁾.

Since Amelands is not recognised as a minority language at the European or national level, there are no specialised agencies overseeing its use in education. In practice, enforcement lies with school authorities, who uniformly implement Dutch as the teaching language ³²⁾. Unlike Frisian, which is subject to inspection by the Dutch Inspectorate of Education, Amelands is outside formal quality assurance frameworks.

Instead, quality control and stimulation of Amelands in education occur informally through cultural projects. For example, teachers sometimes integrate island heritage in the classroom, and projects supported by local cultural foundations encourage awareness of the dialect ³³⁾. Nonetheless, as Van de Velde et al. ³⁴⁾ observe, Amelands remains poorly institutionalised, with few educational resources and no digital teaching tools. The sustainability of knowledge transfer relies on individual efforts from older speakers, community activists, and cultural organisations, rather than on institutional enforcement.

Despite the lack of legal protection, Amelands has retained strong intergenerational transmission. In a 2002 survey at the island’s secondary school, 87.9% of pupils reported speaking the dialect regularly ³⁵⁾. The Streektalenatlas 2014 confirmed this vitality, showing that 83% of Amelanders use the dialect regularly in daily life, the highest percentage among all Frisian contact varieties. Moreover, around 70% of parents who speak Amelands continue to use it with their children, ensuring its presence in the home domain ³⁶⁾.

Nevertheless, these figures also reveal potential fragility. While nearly all islanders understand Amelands, active skills in reading and especially writing are far weaker, with only about 20% of speakers reporting good writing ability ³⁷⁾. This imbalance highlights how strong oral vitality coexists with weak institutional support, leaving the dialect dependent on informal transmission.

There is no institutional framework for Amelands language education. Unlike Frisian, which benefits from promotion by the Frisian Academy and statutory protection, Amelands lacks official institutions that actively support its teaching. The only partial involvement comes from cultural initiatives: the Frisian Academy compiled the Groat Amelander Woa'deboek in 1987, which indirectly supports the dialect’s visibility, and local foundations such as De Ouwe Pôlle publish cultural and historical material ³⁸⁾. However, these efforts are aimed at preservation and documentation rather than systematic language education.

No dedicated financial support exists for the development of Amelands teaching or learning resources. Funding mechanisms that apply to Frisian, for teacher employment, textbook development, and curriculum integration, do not extend to Amelands ³⁹⁾. Occasional support is indirect, such as provincial or local subsidies for cultural projects.

Educational materials for Amelands are scarce. The most substantial reference is the dictionary published in 1987 by the Fryske Akademy, which functions as a realistic, but not formally recognised, spelling guide but was not designed for classroom use ⁴⁰⁾. No textbooks, curricula, or formal teaching packages exist.

There is no training programme for teachers of Amelands, nor are there professional bodies dedicated to supporting such teachers. As most teachers on the island come from the mainland, Dutch dominates the classroom, and dialect use is limited to informal settings.

No published sources mention the use or presence of Amelands in preschool education. It can be assumed that, as in later school stages, Dutch is the language used in organised early-childhood settings, but this is currently not explicitly documented. Children therefore acquire Amelands informally through family and community interaction before entering primary school. Amelands is absent from formal schooling at every level, from preschool to university. In preschool and primary education, Dutch is the exclusive medium of instruction, and the use of Amelands in the classroom is explicitly prohibited ⁴¹⁾. Teachers, most of whom are from the mainland, insist on Dutch in lessons, though children continue to speak Amelands freely on playgrounds and in informal settings. Frisian, which is compulsory elsewhere in Friesland, is also not taught on Ameland, as the island was granted a dispensation when Frisian became a mandatory school subject in 1993 ⁴²⁾. Instead, schools sometimes devote attention to local heritage under the heemkunde project, but this does not involve systematic language education.

In primary schools, Dutch is the sole language of instruction, and the use of Amelands in the classroom is explicitly discouraged ⁴³⁾. Teachers, often originating from the mainland, tend to prioritise Standard Dutch, viewing it as essential for later education. Frisian, which became a compulsory school subject elsewhere in the province in 1993, is not taught on Ameland because the island was granted a permanent exemption (Jansen, 2010b). Instead, local identity primarily is addressed through the heemkunde project, which includes lessons about island traditions but not its language. Despite this absence, children continue to use Amelands actively outside formal lessons, with many maintaining bilingual competence in both Dutch and Amelands.

At the island’s only secondary school, the Burgemeester Waldaschool in Nes, the same situation applies, as all instruction takes place in Dutch, and there are no classes in Amelands. A 2002 school survey showed that 87.9% of pupils still reported speaking the dialect regularly, especially at home and with peers ⁴⁴⁾. This suggests that the absence of school-based instruction has not prevented the intergenerational transmission of the dialect. On the contrary, Amelands remains the language of the community and of everyday interaction among young people, even though it has no institutional recognition.

Divide into two parts

There is likewise no provision for Amelands in vocational, higher, or adult education. The dialect does not appear in curricula, teacher training, or adult courses, and there are no mechanisms for evaluating competence or accrediting skills. Its presence in education is thus limited to informal use in the school environment and occasional cultural initiatives such as the dialect column in the local magazine ⁴⁵⁾.

Although formal education does not contribute to the preservation of Amelands, strong home transmission and community use have maintained its vitality. Nearly all Amelanders understand and speak the dialect, and intergenerational transmission rates remain high ⁴⁶⁾. Existing resources published by the Fryske Akademy and linguistic researchers, and various linguistic studies of its grammar and phonology, do provide a potential foundation from which structured learning materials could be developed if educational or community interest were to increase.

Divide into two parts

• https://www.amelanderhistorie.nl/products/het-amelands-als-fries-nederlands-mengdialect/ (Webpage on Amelands grammar and vocabulary)

De Ouwe Pôlle