> BTW:
>
> As for that big differentiation between "Scandinavian"
> and German: how about the relationship "Scandinavian"
> and Flemish/Netherlandish + Frisian? And: does North
> Frisian belong to the Scandinavian languages?
>
On the political side, since the war there is cooperation between the
Frisian and Danish minorities on minority rights in Schleswig(-
Holstein) (Frisians identied themselves as German during the German-
Danish wars in the 19th century) and the Germans in general no doubt
lump them as funny Northern dialects. Linguistically, no. Inasmuch as
Dutch is easier for a Dane to learn than Hochdeutsch, it's because
you don't have to learn that extra grammar (cases especially) since
Dutch has been simplified (creolised) as the Scandinavian languages
have. But compare:
German: ...dass ich es hätte sagen können
Dutch: ...dat ik het had kunnen zeggen
English ...that I could have said it
Danish ...at jeg kunne have sagt det
Swedish ...att jag kunde ha sagt det
Not much help from his own language for a Dane learning Dutch.
Torsten