What language is spoken in Ostfriesland?
Plattdeutsch, or Low German, is the colloquial language of Ostfriesland. It is closely related to Dutch, Frisian, and English, and differs markedly from standard German (High German or Hochdeutsch). Plattdeutsch has been supplanted by standard German in schools and government, but it remains the language of the home in much of Ostfriesland, especially in rural areas and among the older generation. Plattdeutsch is also spoken, particularly by the older generation, in Ostfriesen settlements in the United States.
