In the Early Middle Ages the Frisian lands stretched from the area around Bruges, in what is now Belgium, to the river Weser, in northern Germany.
One rhyme demonstrates the palpable similarity between Frisian and English: "Butter, bread and green cheese is good English and good Frise," which is pronounced more or less the same in both languages (Frisian: "Bûter, brea en griene tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Frysk.")