Written by Giovanni Pinto
Dyami Millarson recently wrote an article (click the link) explaining the benefit of sending a letter to the municipality of Wangerooge about the Wangerooge Frisian language which has recently been revived. As I support the revival of the Wangerooge Frisian language and I believe it is appropriate to inform the municipality of Wangerooge about the fact that Wangerooge Frisian is alive again, I decided to write the following letter of my own:
Dear sir/madam,
In recent times, with notice from the president of Foundation Operation X, Dyami Millarson, who has informed me of the very existence of Wangerooge Frisian, I have grown aware of the language of the island of Wangerooge, as well as my sympathy for the very exotic and insightful repertoire this language offers for the purpose of Linguistics and Anthropology.
Wangerooge Frisian is not Low Saxon (better known as Platt in German), but it is closer to English and other Frisian languages: I myself am a speaker of the local language of the Frisian island of Schiermonnikoog in the Netherlands, which is rich in similarity with Wangerooge Frisian and in turn the Standard Western Frisian language. As a token of the similarity with English, Wangerooge Frisian has the “th” sound like the English language.
In spite of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is rampant in these difficult times, and considering also that the Frisian language of Wangerooge has disappeared in the previous century, the language of Wangerooge is making its comeback with the help of our Operation X team under the benevolent guidance of president Dyami Millarson.
As for my own efforts, I am compiling a lexicon of terms found in the Wangerooge language, and I am accessing online archives from the 19th century to gain insight into this language.
I hope to have properly informed the municipality of Wangerooge about the fact that Wangerooge Frisian is alive again and I hope that the municipality of Wangerooge will properly acknowledge this fact while it may be a cultural and economic opportunity for the island.
Yours sincerely,
Giovanni Pinto
Foundation Operation X for languages, cultures and perspectives 
hi giovanni thanks for your efforts to preserve and revive the language of wangerooge frisian. i didnt realize that frisian had some link words to english. i knew that was true of german. i pray you will be successful in your quest.
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This is a beautiful and worthy endeavor. I wish all the best in this work to preserve the language of wangerooge Frisian. 💗
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I wish I could see the face of whoever from the Municipality of Wangerooge first reads your email. I bet this is the last kind of news they would expect to receive!
And I hope you get a positive, interested response. A lot of work has gone into this from Operation X’s end, and it is a chance for the people of Wangerooge to have a piece of their heritage restored. In a world where more and more of us only speak mainstream languages, every bit of unique culture and heritage counts. And what else is the living heartbeat of a culture if not its language? (As the authors of this blog well know.)
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You understand this topic very well, your thoughtful comment is highly appreciated. 😊 I will forward your nice words to Giovanni who did his best to write a kind and insightful message. In case you might be inspired, please feel free to write your own letter to the municipality as well, every heartfelt letter with personal input matters and may help make a difference even if it is concise:
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Hi! Thank you for bringing the letter writing campaign to my attention. I was inspired, as this cause bears similarity to a cause in Montana I care about. Below is a copy of the email I wrote.
“To The Municipality of Wangerooge:
I am writing to bring your attention to the hard work of Dyami Millarson and Giovanni Pinto with Operation X. Giovanni Printo in particular has become fluent in Wangerooge Frisian (Wangerooger Friesisch), and he desires to help revive the language, which is a lost part of your island’s wonderful heritage.
Where I live in Montana, in the United States, certain tribes of Native Americans are making great strides to preserve their peoples’ languages. They recognize that preserving their native languages is essential to preserving their peoples’ cultural identities. Otherwise, young Native Americans would only know mainstream American culture, and they would lose touch with their roots. They would lose their heart connection to a heritage that makes their people distinct in a unique, beautiful way.
I believe the same is true for the people of Wangerooge. Your island has a heritage that sets you apart from mainstream German culture. Reviving Wangerooge Frisian would be one way to revive that heritage and inspire pride in it among Wangerooge’s youth. Such a cultural revival would also attract tourists who are fascinated by Europe’s many unique cultures.
I and Operation X would appreciate your kind consideration of this matter. We also wish your people a full recovery from Covid-19 and its unfortunate effects on Wangerooge. May your people know renewed prosperity and hope for the future!”
Best of luck with the revival of Wangerooge Frisian!
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Wow, you did a fantastic job. Your beautifully written message comes straight from the heart. It is evident you put real consideration into this. It is no exaggeration when your moving letter is likened to a musical composition that is an exquisite aesthetic pleasure to the human ears while the musical notes in the composition are arranged in a manner that feels just right. Tremendously grateful for your sincere contribution!
If you agree, there is one detail that you might add in a postscript (P.S.), namely that Dyami Millarson is the one who has already become fluent, while Giovanni Pinto is still in the process of becoming fluent. Of course, this is but a minor detail as it is only a matter of time before Giovanni Pinto will also be fluent in the language.
Thank you for your compassionate wishes, we value your effort truly and wish you all the best!
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Thank you for your kind words! And I wrote a post script. I want to be accurate about everyone’s efforts!
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Making a difference! You’ve done good work here. Keep at it!!
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Truly respect your research and work.
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You’ve done a great job
Nice one
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