Frisians, or Friesians, a Teutonic tribe that settled in what is now the Netherlands during the first century A.D. The tribe was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus. In the seventh century the Frisians clashed with the Franks, another Teutonic tribe, and resisted Christianity. They accepted Frankish rule in the eighth century and became Christians. The inhabitants of Friesland, a province of the Netherlands, are still called Frisians. The Frisian language is still spoken in this region. The Frisian Islands are named for the old tribe.