Written by Dyami Millarson

Karl Otto Johannes Theresius Freiherr von Richthofen wrote what is still considered the most comprehensive dictionary of Old Frisian.

We will first take a look at von Richthofen’s Frisian language abbreviations:

• R. = Old Frisian type R = Riustringen Frisian
• B. = Old Frisian type B = Bro(e)kmerland Frisian
• E. = Old Frisian type E = Emsigo/Emsigerland Frisian
• F. = Old Frisian type F = Fivelgo Frisian
• H. = Old Frisian type H = Hunsingo Frisian
• S. = Old Frisian type S
• W. = Old Frisian type W
• Hettema or Het. = Sagelterland Frisian
• Epkema or Epk. = Middle Shire Frisian
• neufries. or neufr. = any of the Modern Frisian languages (not necessarily Modern Shire Frisian yet very often Modern Shire Frisian)
• nordfries. or nordfr. = North Frisian
• Outzen or Out. = North Frisian (usually Breklum Frisian)
• saterl. = Sagelterland Frisian

These are von Richthofen’s non-Frisian language abbreviations:

• ags. = Anglo-Saxon or Old English
• alts. = Old Saxon
• isl. = Icelandic
• mnd. = Middle Low German
• mnl. = Middle Dutch