ABSTRACTResearch in the field of language and economy is of international political significance. It is relevant to, for instance, the role that is played by national and minority languages in the process of European unification. This article contains a case study of the mutual relationship between language and economy in Friesland, one of the northern provinces of the Netherlands. An ongoing public debate in Friesland concerns the effects of the Frisian language and the language policy, pursued by the provincial authorities, on the functioning of the regional economy. Possible negative consequences are emphasized in this debate, even though the present literature contains hardly any evidence of such consequences. Little information is available about the position of the Frisian language in trade and industry in Friesland. This is why further research is recommended. Because of the importance of the aspect of image formation in the influence of the Frisian language on the economy, elements from behavioural economic geography will be used.