Written by Dyami Millarson

It is my honour to present to you the first recording of Molkwerum Frisian. In fact, this is the first recording of Molkwerum Frisian that has ever been made because when Molkwerum Frisian went extinct in the 19th century, no recordings had yet been made of the language. In addition, if you click on the record button below, you will be among the first to hear the sound of Molkwerum Frisian after it has been gone for more than one and a half centuries; you will be part of this historical moment where you can witness the return of the sound of Molkwerum Frisian!

The recording is available at the bottom of this article where you may also find the complete list of reconstructed Molkwerum Frisian words that are being read in the recording.

I could not have expected such a beautiful language to appear. I am surprised by the result as well. It sounds a bit like Hindeloopen Frisian.

The reconstruction of Molkwerum Frisian has been made possible by my studies of the Frisian languages of the Netherlands. I have learned to speak and write Clay Frisian (closely related to Wood Frisian), East Terschelling Frisian (closely related to West Terschelling Frisian), Schiermonnikoog Frisian and Hindeloopen Frisian. I believe my intensive studies have paid off; of course, I have not finished yet and my studies are still on-going. Studying the entire Frisian language family is a lifelong project and so I keep learning and thereby improving my knowledge!

Molkwerum Frisian has been gone for many generations; it was muted and now it has a voice again! I could really not be more excited about this, I have been working very hard to reconstruct the phonology of Molkwerum Frisian.

Whilst working on the phonology of Molkwerum Frisian, I felt like I was working on a proto-language, such as Proto-Indo-European. Indeed, Molkwerum Frisian has many peculiar or idiosyncratic sounds; sometimes I found it hard to believe it could exhibit such sounds, but the evidence persuaded me that it was definitely possible.

The reconstruction of Molkwerum Frisian is an on-going process, but progress is being made and I am truly delighted that I am now able to let you hear the sound of Molkwerum Frisian. I learned many new things myself from reconstructing Molkwerum Frisian as well; it helps me to take a closer look at the Frisian languages that I can already read, speak and write.

Hindeloopen Frisian, which is the sister language of Molkwerum Frisian, has helped with the reconstruction a great deal. For more information about the reconstruction, please read my previous article on deciphering the Molkwerum Frisian pronunciation and my blog publication of a tentative phonology of Molkwerum Frisian.

Operation X is dedicated to saving living languages that are endangered and bringing back languages that went extinct (long) before they could be saved.

Please follow along with the reconstructed vocabulary in the exact same order as what is being pronounced in the recording (I said some words multiple times to show the different aspects of their pronunciation):

1. *waskje, to wash.
2. *jarre, waste of livestock usually found at a farm: liquid manure, dung water
3. *aaₑte, grandfather
4. *aame, grandmother
5. *ââld, old
6. *fâân, woman
7. *haaₑnd, hand
8. *lâând, land
9. *de, the
10. *’e, the
11. *ketting, necklace
12. *het, what
13. *flesk, flesh, meat
14. *settel, kettle
15. *rèèg, back
16. *grèète, great, large
17. *stèèwe, a long object: stave, rod, bar
18. *sèè, a source of water, water well
19. *sjeek, sick
20. *leep, a kind of bird: lapwing
21. **sees, cheese
22. *jimme, you, 2nd pers. plur. informal
23. *fisk, fish
24. *lippe, lip
25. *sjippe, soap
26. *linnen, linnen
27. *déé, dead, death
28. *kéémer, chamber, room
29. *feer, father
30. **meer, more
31. *neel, nail
32. *jie, you, 2nd pers. formal
33. *wiend, wind
34. *brienge, bring
35. *ien, in
36. *bie, by, at
37. *iis, ice
38. *tiisdei, Tuesday
39. *bòd, bed
40. *sòrke, church
41. *sòlm, self
42. *enkòrm, each other
43. *Mòlkòrrer, pertaining to Molkwerum
44. *bòn, child
45. *dòònsje, dance
46. *tó, to, used with infinites
47. *róst, ???
48. *dóbber, float of a fishing rod
49. *jók, yoke
50. *góóld, gold
51. *nóós, nose
52. *hóólt, wood
53. *böst, breast
54. *doe, thou, 2nd pers. sing. informal
55. *loes, louse
56. *moes, mouse
57. *foeke, ???
58. *toenger, thunder
59. *moer, wall
60. *stút, tail
61. *húúp, hip
62. *wuute, to know
63. *kruus, cross
64. *huuspanne, rooftile
65. *kuut, a part of the body: calf
66. *saing, song
67. *wienkbraauw, eyebrow
68. *gaauw, soon
69. *klaauwen, claws
70. *fééₐr, father
71. *bééₐs, a kind of fish: bass
72. *wééije, to blow
73. *weide, ???
74. *reit, reed
75. **leeuwe, to believe
76. *miₐlt, an internal organ: milt, spleen
77. *stieₑn, stone
78. **mieₑne, to think
79. *dòiter, daughter
80. *tòit, thought, pret. tense
81. **mòòi, beautiful
82. *bòₐn, child
83. **hòₐt, heart
84. *hòₐdstéé, hearth
85. *kòₐse, candle
86. *gòₐs, grass
87. *tòòₐst, thirst
88. *mòòₑlken, milk
89. *kóóₐts, fever
90. *fóóₐne, a kind of fish
91. *möie, midwife
92. *flöite, flute
93. *löiwaigen, scrubbing brush
94. *tjoeₑne, to perform magic
95. *oujette, to pour out
96. *houkje, to clean the ditches, usually of a farm
97. *boer, farmer
98. *boerin, female farmer
99. *bemmen, trees
100. *blómmen, flowers
101. *sechste, sixth
102. *waachse, to wax, grow
103. *den, then
104. *dòònsje, to dance
105. *nóósdoeₑk, handkerchief
106. *fienger, finger
107. *foegel, fowl, bird
108. *flamme, flame
109. *walgje, to be disgusted
110. *swééger, brother-in-law
111. *brèège, bridge
112. *foegel, fowl, bird
113. *éég, eye
114. *hemd, shirt
115. *hoenger, hunger
116. *hââ, head
117. *jarre, waste of livestock usually found at a farm: liquid manure, dung water
118. *fiskje, to fish
119. *waskje, to wash
120. *klaiwer, clover
121. *kessen, cushion, pillow
122. *koê, cow
123. *kéél, calf
124. *skóólder, shoulder
125. *skiere, pair of scissors
126. *kat, cat
127. *léén, reward, wage
128. *lééwer, liver
129. *lekken, bed sheet
130. *hóólt, wood
131. *góóld, gold
132. *ââld, old
133. **wrââld, world
134. *mem, mother
135. *maikje, to make
136. *nei, to, preposition
137. *neel, nail
138. *nekke, neck
139. *tange, a kind of tool: forceps, a pair of tongs
140. *joenge, boy
141. **toenge, tongue
142. *iengewand, internal organ of the body
143. *bank, bench, sofa
144. *tienke, to think
145. *drienke, to drink
146. *spieₑ, to vomit
147. *riene, to rain
148. *slieₑpe, to sleep
149. *strieₑ, straw
150. *sjippe, soap
151. *sjipsóp, soap suds
152. *tòòₐst, thirst
153. *toen, garden
154. *tómme, thumb
155. *trieₑ, thread
156. *tjoeₑne, to perform magic
157. *wònsdei, Wednesday
158. *swelle, a kind of bird: swallow
159. *wèèze, to be
160. *deizenstók, a bar for stewing meat above the hearth