That´s how Frisian crumbles

Hi C,

I can see where you’re coming from. I’ll think about it and see what comes to mind. 
It’s funny though that you should mention how the well-being of their livestock is part of the day-to-day conversations of people in Amharic culture, as Frisia is a traditionally agricultural society of independent (important part of the so-called “Frisian Freedom”) livestock farmers as well. You may have heard about the world-famous Frisian Cow, that are all centrally registered with distinctive features and line of ancestry, or about the dairy products that for many centuries were Frisia’s main source of export to its overseas English neighbors. As they say in England “Butter, bread, and green cheese is good English and good Frisian” (in Frisian: bûter, brea en griene tsiis). 

Some people might feel it as a downside of farmers that they don’t tend to beat around the bush and like to call stuff by its name. Such language can easily be felt as offensive in other cultures. For example the expression “it is de boer allike folle oft de ko skyt of de bolle”, meaning to express that one should not fuss over things that are not important, literally means “to the farmer it’s all the same, if the cow shits or the bull does”. By the same token, the downside of our western society — as well as the close contact with Dutch culture through Dutch media — is that those traditional expressions of agricultural origin grow scarcer by the day. A fine example of Dutch culture rubbing off upon our language is the use of the word “wiif”. Just like “my wife” is perfectly normal English, “myn wiif” is perfectly normal Frisian. However, as the Dutch word “wijf” happens to have acquired a depreciative connotation over the centuries, many Frisian wives suddenly regard their husband´s use of the title “myn wiif” as offensive. And that’s how the cookie crumbles (and the Frisian language along with it). 

But, as I said, “ik sil it ris yn my omgean litte” (= I’ll think about it). 

Kind regards,
Jaap

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