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North Sea Germanic

North Sea Germanic
Ingvaeonic
Geographic
distribution
Originally the North Sea coast from Friesland to Jutland; today, worldwide
Native speakers
325 million (2004)
Linguistic classificationIndo-European
Subdivisions
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolognort3175

North Sea Germanic, also known as Ingvaeonic (/ˌɪŋvˈɒnɪk/ ING-vee-ON-ik),[1] is a subgrouping of West Germanic languages that consists of Old Frisian, Old English, and Old Saxon, and their descendants. These languages share a number of commonalities, such as a single plural ending for all persons of the verb, the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law, common changes to the Germanic vowel *a, a plural form -as, and a number of other features which make scholars believe they form a distinct group within West Germanic.

It is debated whether the shared features of North Sea Germanic are inherited from a common proto-language or formed via later contact and influence. Additionally, the membership of the group is sometimes debated. Some scholars exclude Low German for lacking a number of features associated with North Sea Germanic. Other scholars include Dutch for sharing some features with the group.

  1. ^ "Ingvaeonic". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 24 March 2024.

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