Guernésiais facts for kids

Guernésiais (pronounced gair-nez-yay), also called Guerneseyese or Guernsey French, is a special language spoken on the island of Guernsey. It's a type of the Norman language, which means it's related to French. People on the island sometimes just call it "patois."

This language comes from Latin, but it has also been greatly shaped by Old Norse (the language of Vikings) and English over time. If you speak Guernésiais, you might be able to understand people who speak Jèrriais from Jersey or other Norman speakers from Normandy, France. Guernésiais is quite similar to the Norman language spoken in a part of France called La Hague.

Guernésiais has changed less because of Standard French compared to Jèrriais. However, it has been more influenced by English. For example, new words for modern things have come from English, like le bike (bicycle) and le gas-cooker (gas stove).

Guernsey has a rich history of poetry written in Guernésiais. These poems and songs often talk about the sea, island traditions, and the beautiful nature of Guernsey.

Guernésiais tops this list of welcome messages at Guernsey's tourism office in Saint Peter Port

A Look Back in Time

Guernsey was once part of Normandy, a region in France. A form of the Norman language grew in the Channel Islands and stayed alive for many centuries. Guernésiais is part of a group of languages called langues d'oïl, which includes French.

Later, after Guernsey separated from Normandy, French Protestant refugees came to the island. They were escaping danger in mainland France. These refugees became important in education, religion, and government. This led to French being seen as a more important language than Guernésiais for a long time.

The English language started to spread in Guernsey during the Napoleonic Wars. Many English soldiers were stationed on the island, and more English tourists and people moved there.

During World War II, from 1940 to 1945, Germany occupied Guernsey. This was a tough time for Guernésiais. Many children were sent away from the island for safety, which meant they didn't learn the language from their parents. Because of this, Guernésiais continued to decline. In 2001, only about 2.2% of the people in Guernsey said they could speak it fluently.

Famous Writers and Poets

Many talented people have written in Guernésiais:

• George Métivier (1790–1881) was a very important Guernsey poet. He was the first to create a dictionary for the Norman language in the Channel Islands in 1870. This dictionary helped set the rules for how the language should be written. His book of poems, Rimes Guernesiaises, was published in 1831.
• Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte (a relative of Napoleon) was interested in languages. He published a Guernésiais translation of the Gospel of Matthew by George Métivier in 1863.
• Denys Corbet (1826–1909) called himself the "Last Poet" of Guernsey French. He wrote many poems for the island newspaper and in his own books. His most famous work is L'Touar de Guernesy, which is an epic journey around the parishes of Guernsey.
• Thomas Martin (1839–1921) was an amazing translator. He translated the entire Bible, plays by William Shakespeare, and many other famous works into Guernésiais.
• Marie de Garis (1910–2010) created a very important dictionary called Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais. The first edition came out in 1967.

During the German occupation of Guernsey in World War II, Guernésiais saw a small comeback. Many islanders used the language so that the German soldiers, who often knew English, wouldn't understand what they were saying.

Even the famous French writer Victor Hugo, who lived in the Channel Islands for a time, included some Guernésiais words in his novels. His book Toilers of the Sea is even credited with adding the Guernésiais word for octopus, pieuvre, to the French language! (The usual French word for octopus is poulpe).

What's Happening Now

In 2001, a study showed that about 1,327 people (2% of the population) could speak Guernésiais fluently. Most of these speakers (about 70%) were over 64 years old. Only a very small number of young people (0.1%) were fluent. However, about 14% of the population said they understood some of the language.

Even though fewer people speak it, there are groups working to keep Guernésiais alive:

• L'Assembllaïe d'Guernesiais and Les Ravigoteurs are groups that promote the language. Les Ravigoteurs even published a storybook and cassette for children!
• Forest School holds a yearly speaking contest for primary school children.
• The annual Eisteddfod festival is a chance for people to perform in Guernésiais.
• You can find some Guernésiais lessons on BBC Radio Guernsey and in the Guernsey Press newspaper.
• In 2008, a special officer was appointed to help develop the Guernésiais language.
• In 2013, the Guernsey government created a Language Commission to help protect the language.

While there isn't much TV or radio in Guernésiais, BBC Radio Guernsey started broadcasting a 10-minute news bulletin once a week in 2021. In 2022, a documentary about the future of Guernésiais was made for BBC radio.

Keeping the Language Alive

Guernésiais is not an official language of Guernsey, but people are working hard to save it.

• Le Coumité d'la Culture Guernesiaise is a group that organizes events to celebrate Guernésiais.
• The Eisteddfod festival is a public event where you can enjoy plays, poems, and music performed in the language.
• There's a local choir called La Guaine du Vouest that sings in Guernésiais. They help promote the language and Guernsey's cultural history.

From 2007 to 2011, the government had a Language Support Officer to help with revitalization efforts. After that, the Language Commission was formed to support smaller groups working to keep Guernésiais alive.

Bible Translations

• George Métivier translated the Gospel of Matthew into Guernésiais, and it was published in London in 1863. You can even find this online now!
• Thomas Martin translated the entire Bible into Guernésiais, but this translation has never been published.

Words and Phrases

Here are some common words and phrases in Guernésiais:

See also

In Spanish: Idioma guerneseyés para niños