A member of a Germanic people of NW Europe
(Friesland and the Frisian Islands). In Roman
times they occupied the coast of Holland, and
may have taken part in the Anglo-Saxon
invasions of Britain. Their language is
closely akin to Anglo-Saxon, with which it
forms the Anglo-Frisian branch of the West
Germanic languages. The Frisian language is
almost extinct in the German districts of
East Friesland, but has attained some
literary importance in the North Frisian
Islands and Schleswig, and developed a
considerable literature in the West Frisian
dialect of the Dutch province of Friesland.