Guernésiais language
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Guernésiais, also known as ''Dgèrnésiais'', Guernsey French, and Guernsey Norman French, is the variety of the
Norman language Norman or Norman French (, french: Normand, Guernésiais: , Jèrriais: ) is a Romance language which can be classified as one of the Oïl languages along with French, Picard and Walloon. The name "Norman French" is sometimes used to descri ...
spoken in
Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
. It is sometimes known on the island simply as " patois". As one of the
langues d'oïl The ''langues d'oïl'' (; ) are a dialect continuum that includes standard French and its closest autochthonous relatives historically spoken in the northern half of France, southern Belgium, and the Channel Islands. These belong to the larger ...
, it has its roots in Latin, but has had strong influence from both Old Norse and English at different points in its history. There is mutual intelligibility (with some difficulty) with
Jèrriais (french: Jersiais, also known as the Jersey Language, Jersey French and Jersey Norman French in English) is a Romance language and the traditional language of the Jersey people. It is a form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, an island i ...
speakers from Jersey and Continental Norman speakers from Normandy. Guernésiais most closely resembles the Norman dialect of Cotentinais spoken in La Hague in the Cotentin Peninsula of France. Guernésiais has been influenced less by Standard French than Jèrriais, but conversely more so by English. New words have been imported for modern phenomena: e.g. and . There is a rich tradition of poetry in the Guernsey language. Guernsey songs were inspired by the sea, by colourful figures of speech, by traditional folk-lore, as well as by the natural environment of the island. The island's greatest poet was George Métivier (1790–1881), a contemporary of
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
, who influenced and inspired local poets to print and publish their traditional poetry. Métivier blended local place-names, bird and animal names, traditional sayings and orally transmitted fragments of medieval poetry to create his ''Rimes Guernesiaises'' (1831).
Denys Corbet Denys Corbet (22 May 1826 – 21 April 1909) was a Guernsey poet, naïve painter, and schoolmaster, the second son of Pierre Corbet, a seafarer, and Susanne ('' née'' de Beaucamp). He was born at La Turquie, Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands and ...
(1826–1910) was considered the "Last Poet" of Guernsey French and published many poems in his day in his native tongue, both in the island newspaper and privately. The most recent dictionary of Guernésiais, ''Dictiounnaire Angllais-guernesiais'' by
Marie de Garis Marie de Garis MBE (''née'' Le Messurier; 15 June 1910 – 10 August 2010) was a Guernsey author and lexicographer who wrote the ''Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais'' (English-Guernésiais dictionary), the first edition of which was published in ...
, was published in 1967 and revised in 1982.


History

Guernsey was once a part of Normandy; this is the reason why Norman French persevered as a language in the Channel Islands for hundreds of years and also why Guernésiais is considered related to the Oïl language family. Later, as Guernsey gained independence from Normandy, French protestant refugees escaped to the island from fear of persecution in mainland France; they quickly gained influence and positions of power in education, religion, and government. This accounts for the long tradition of a
diglossic In linguistics, diglossia () is a situation in which two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled "L ...
relationship between French and Guernesiais whereby French had prestige while Guernesiais did not. The introduction of English to the Island came with the Napoleonic Wars and the outposting of English soldiers on the island as well as an increase of English tourism and immigration. With the German occupation of Guernsey from 1940 to 1945, Guernesiais suffered more of a decline because children were evacuated off the island, which resulted in Guernesiais not being passed down from the parents to the children. It is from this point onwards that Guernesiais continued to decline in use and so, according to the 2001 census conducted in Guernsey, only 2.2% of the population at the time were fluent in Guernesiais. *Guernsey poet George Métivier (1790–1881) – nicknamed the ''Guernsey
Burns Burns may refer to: * Burn, an injury (plural) People: * Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters Business: * Burns London, a British guitar maker Places: ;In the United States * Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle ...
'', was the first to produce a
dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies ...
of the Norman language in the Channel Islands, the ''Dictionnaire Franco-Normand'' (1870). This established the first standard orthography – later modified and modernised. Among his poetical works are ''Rimes Guernesiaises'' published in 1831. *Prince
Louis Lucien Bonaparte Louis Lucien Bonaparte (4 January 1813 – 3 November 1891) was a French philologist. The third son of Napoleon's second surviving brother, Lucien Bonaparte, he spent much of his life outside France for political reasons. After a brief politica ...
published the Gospel of Matthew by George Métivier in Dgèrnésiais in London in 1863 as part of his philological research. *Like Métivier,
Tam Lenfestey Tam Lenfestey (1818–1885) published poetry in Guernsey newspapers and in book form. Works * ''Le Chant des Fontaines'' (1875) 1818 births 1885 deaths Guernsey writers Norman-language poets History of Guernsey 19th-century poets
(1818–1885) published poetry in Guernsey newspapers and in book form. *
Denys Corbet Denys Corbet (22 May 1826 – 21 April 1909) was a Guernsey poet, naïve painter, and schoolmaster, the second son of Pierre Corbet, a seafarer, and Susanne ('' née'' de Beaucamp). He was born at La Turquie, Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands and ...
(1826–1909) described himself as the ''Draïn Rimeux'' (last poet), but literary production continued. Corbet is best known for his poems, especially the
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
''L'Touar de Guernesy'', a picaresque tour of the parishes of Guernsey. As editor of the French-language newspaper ''Le Bailliage'', he also wrote feuilletons in Dgèrnésiais under the
pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
''Badlagoule'' ("chatterbox"). In 2009 the island held a special exhibition in the Forest Parish on Corbet and his work acknowledging the centenary of his death and unveiling a contemporary portrait painting of the artist by Christian Corbet a cousin to Denys Corbet. *Thomas Martin (1839–1921) translated into Guernésiais the Bible, the plays of William Shakespeare, twelve plays by
Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronag ...
, three plays by Thomas Corneille, twenty seven plays by Molière, twenty plays by Voltaire and ''The Spanish Student'' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. *
Thomas Henry Mahy Thomas Henry Mahy (5 October 1862 – 21 April 1936) wrote ''Dires et Pensées du Courtil Poussin'', a regular column in Guernésiais in ''La Gazette Officielle de Guernesey'', from 1916. A collection was published in booklet form in 1922. He ...
(1862–21 April 1936) wrote ''Dires et Pensées du Courtil Poussin'', a regular column in ''La Gazette Officielle de Guernesey'', from 1916. A collection was published in booklet form in 1922. He was still publishing occasional pieces of poetry and prose by the start of the 1930s. *
Thomas Alfred Grut Thomas Alfred Grut (1852–1933) was a Guernsey photographer and author. He published ''Des lures guernesiaises'' in 1927, a collection of newspaper columns in Guernésiais. He also translated some of the Jèrriais stories of Philippe Le Sue ...
(1852–1933) published ''Des lures guernesiaises'' in 1927, once again a collection of newspaper columns. He also translated some of the Jèrriais stories of
Philippe Le Sueur Mourant Philippe Le Sueur Mourant (1848 – 21 August 1918) was a Jersey writer who wrote in Jèrriais and French. He was born in St Saviour in 1848 and spent most of his early life working in agriculture in Newfoundland and Lorient. He returned to ...
into Dgèrnésiais. *
Marjorie Ozanne Marjorie Edith Ozanne (1897–1973) wrote stories and poetry in Guernésiais, published in the '' Guernsey Evening Press'' between 1949 and 1965. Some earlier pieces can be found in ''La Gazette de Guernesey'' in the 1920s. She is remembered for he ...
(1897–1973) wrote stories, published in the ''Guernsey Evening Press'' between 1949 and 1965. Some earlier pieces can be found in ''La Gazette de Guernesey'' in the 1920s. * Ken Hill translated many of Marjorie Ozanne's short stories and poems into English with the Guernsey accent of the early 20th century. The work was published by the Guernsey society. *Métivier's dictionary was superseded by
Marie de Garis Marie de Garis MBE (''née'' Le Messurier; 15 June 1910 – 10 August 2010) was a Guernsey author and lexicographer who wrote the ''Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais'' (English-Guernésiais dictionary), the first edition of which was published in ...
' (1910–2010) ''Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais''; first edition published in 1967, supplements 1969 and 1973, third edition 1982. *When the Channel Islands were invaded by Germany in World War II, Dgèrnésiais experienced a minor revival. Many Guernsey people did not always wish the occupying forces to understand what they were saying, especially as some of the soldiers had knowledge of English. *
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
includes the odd word of Dgèrnésiais in some of his Channel Island novels. Hugo's novel '' Toilers of the Sea'' (french: Les Travailleurs de la mer), is credited with introducing the Guernesiais word for octopus, , into the French language (standard French for octopus is ''poulpe''). *A collection of short stories ''P'tites Lures Guernésiaises'' (in Guernésiais with parallel English translation) by various writers was published in 2006.


Current Status

The 2001 census showed that 1327 (1262 Guernsey-born) or 2% of the population speak the language fluently while 3% fully understand the language. However most of these, 70% or 934 of the 1327 fluent speakers, are over 64 years old. Among the young only 0.1% or one in a thousand are fluent speakers. However, 14% of the population claim some understanding of the language. *L'Assembllaïe d'Guernesiais, an association for speakers of the language founded in 1957, has published a periodical. Les Ravigoteurs, another association, has published a storybook and cassette for children. *Forest School hosts an annual speaking contest of the island's primary school children (Year 6). *The annual Eisteddfod provides an opportunity for performances in the language, and radio and newspaper outlets furnish regular media output. *There is some teaching of the language in voluntary classes in schools in Guernsey. *Evening classes are available, as of 2013. *Lunchtime classes are offered at the Guernsey Museum, as of 2013. *Along with Jèrriais, Irish, Scottish Gaelic,
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
,
Manx Manx (; formerly sometimes spelled Manks) is an adjective (and derived noun) describing things or people related to the Isle of Man: * Manx people **Manx surnames * Isle of Man It may also refer to: Languages * Manx language, also known as Manx ...
and Scots (in Scotland as well as the Ulster Scots dialects), Guernésiais is recognised as a regional language by the British and Irish governments within the framework of the
British–Irish Council The British–Irish Council (BIC) ( ga, Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment, and energy. Its ...
. * BBC Radio Guernsey and the ''Guernsey Press'' both feature occasional lessons. * A Guernésiais language development officer was appointed (with effect from January 2008). There is little broadcasting in the language, with ITV Channel Television more or less ignoring the language, and only the occasional short feature on BBC Radio Guernsey, usually for learners. The creation of a Guernsey Language Commission was announced on 7 February 2013 as an initiative by government to preserve the linguistic culture. The Commission has operated since Liberation Day, 9 May 2013.


Revitalization

While Guernesiais does not have status as an official language of the island, revitalization efforts are still being undertaken on a small scale. One group, ''Le Coumité d'la Culture Guernesiaise'', organizes activities and events that celebrate Guernesiais. The Eisteddfod cultural festival is a public event where attendees can enjoy plays, poems, and music performed in Guernesiais. There is also a local choir on Guernsey called ''La Guaine du Vouest'' who conduct musical performances in Guernesiais to further promote the language and the cultural and linguistic heritage of Guernsey. It wasn't until 2007 when efforts to revitalize Guernesiais were undertaken at an official level, when the government appointed a Language Support Officer (LSO), albeit with ambiguous direction. The position was only held until 2011; after that, there was no replacement and instead a Language Commission was formed in order to support efforts to revitalize Guernesiais by smaller groups.


Bible translations

* George Métivier translated the Gospel of Matthew into Guernésiais and it was published in London in 1863. This is now online. *Thomas Martin translated the whole Bible into Guernésiais and this has never been published.


Phonology

* may also be heard as a tap sound . * /, / are heard by different dialects as well as older speakers as palatalized plosives * Vowel sounds /, /; /, / may also be heard as near open Metathesis of /r/ is common in Guernésiais, by comparison with Sercquiais and Jèrriais. Other examples are (promenade), (present), (tripod).


Verbs

, have (auxiliary verb) , to love (regular conjugation)


Examples


See also

*
Auregnais dialect Auregnais, Aoeur'gnaeux, or Aurignais was the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Alderney (french: Aurigny, Auregnais: ''aoeur'gny'' or ''auregny''). It was closely related to the Guernésiais (Guernsey), Jèrriais (Jersey), and Sercquia ...
*
Literature in the other languages of Britain In addition to English, literature has been written in a wide variety of other languages in Britain, that is the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey are not part of ...
* Sarnia Cherie * Sercquiais


References


Sources

*


External links


What is Dgernesiais?Guernesiais today
by Julia Sallabank – from the BBC
Texts in DgèrnésiaisLa Societe Guernesiaise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guernesiais Guernsey culture Languages of the Channel Islands Norman language Endangered Romance languages