La Section de la langue Jèrriaise

Bouanne niet! - Goodnight!

 


Dans la chambre (in the bedroom) naturally enough we find lé liet (the bed). But perhaps there's more than un liet (one bed), you might find deux lyits (two beds) - note that en Jèrriais bed has an irregular plural. But it isn't all bad news, because la niet (the night) has the same quirk: “nights” are les nyits.

Our ancestors having been moon-worshippers, the calendar was governed by the moon and so aniet, the Jèrriais word for “today”, contains the word for night.

À mînniet (at midnight), most good boys and girls should be tucked up au liet (in bed) cauds comme des mouossons (warm as sparrows - as snug as a bug in a rug) under l'êdrédon (the duvet or eiderdown).

Also on the bed, you find lé lîncheu (the sheet) and l'ouothilyi (the pillow), and alongside you probably have un cârillon (an alarm-clock).

All cosy, you're ready to dormi comme un pourpais (sleep like a porpoise) - which simply means to sleep like a log. Let's hope that you don't rêver la rouoge trie (dream the red sow) which is one way to say having a nightmare. It might leave you blianc comme un lîncheu (as white as a sheet). Eune ponserêsse is a nightmare itself.

If you want eune bouonne niétchie d'dormi (a good night's sleep), never forget that comme nou fait san liet, nou s'couoche (as you make your bed, you lie in it)!

 

La Section de la langue Jèrriaise
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