Languages of the Netherlands
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While most people in the Netherlands speak Dutch, there are also some recognized provincial languages and regional dialects.
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch. It is spoken by almost all people in the Netherlands. Dutch is also spoken in Flanders and Suriname. It is a West Germanic, Low Franconian language that originated in the Early Middle Ages (c. 470) and was standardized in the 16th century. Frisian is a co-official language in the province of Friesland.
Several dialects of Dutch Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north-east of the country and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Another Dutch dialect granted the status of regional language is Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg. However, both Low Saxon and Limburgish spread across the Dutch-German border and belong to a common Dutch-Low German dialect continuum.
The Netherlands also has its separate Dutch Sign Language.
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