Language quiz

Here’s a recording of conversation in a mystery language. Any ideas which language it is?

Comments (11)

TJMarch 24th, 2007 at 12:35 pm

some where in eastern europe ……… finnish ….. estonian .. or close by!?

ColmMarch 24th, 2007 at 12:40 pm

Is it Frisian, the minority language of the Netherlands and Northern Germany?

ÆrenMarch 24th, 2007 at 2:12 pm

It sounds like some Scandinavian,,, Frisian sounds like good suggestion…

iwsfutcmdMarch 24th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

With the intonation, my guess is Swedish or Norwegian (or maybe a Danish dialect). Or it could be a reversed English sound file. They sound pretty much the same.

Ben

PodolskyMarch 24th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

Swedish

AndersMarch 24th, 2007 at 5:11 pm

My first thought was Estonian but since Colm didnt thought so I guess it isn’t.

I’m from Sweden and I can tell that it is not Swedish, Danish or Norwegian.

It doesnt sound like Finnish either.

I go for lappish.

JulietteMarch 24th, 2007 at 5:22 pm

Oh hell.. I don’t know, but I seem to be able to understand bits and pieces of it…. this is really weird for me…

Having recognized some phrases and words – like ‘wist wel’ (very typical, translates to Dutch proper as ‘weet je wel’ or in English ‘you know’) -, my guess would have to be one of the Dutch “dialects” (most are recognized as separate languages, though most Dutch people would be surprised if they knew) or Frysian, but then again, if it would be one of the Dutch dialects, I normally can understand most of it… (not so with Frysian though).

Anyway, I dare to bet it’s one of the Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=90432), I just haven’t got a clue which one.

Would it by any chance be Gronings or Zeeuws ?

DaydreamerMarch 25th, 2007 at 12:23 am

I think it’s Afrikaans and the conversation seems to be recorded from the Muppets Show starting with the question “What time is it?”.

John CMarch 25th, 2007 at 4:16 am

I’m guessing Afrikaans……

SimonMarch 25th, 2007 at 12:25 pm

The language is Frisian and the recording comes from this site.

JamesApril 6th, 2007 at 7:43 pm

It´s Germanic, and seems to have a lot of similarity to Dutch, but it is not Dutch, Flemish, or Africaans nor a german dialect. It is not Swedish, norwegian or Danish either.

frisian. never heard it spoken but I know it is the closest to Dutch

James