Le Rapport Annuel dé La Section dé La Langue Jèrriaise
Deux mille sept.
Not' sgonde période dé dgiêx ans c'menchit au mais d'Janvyi, et duthant les preunmié trais mais j'finnissînmes la rédaction dé not' preunmié Collection d'la Littéthatuthe Jèrriaise pouor l'împrînm'thie, publyicâtion et vente à la Fête Nouormande à Bric'bé au mais d'Mai.
Duthant nos rêunnions, j'tâchînmes étout dé composer des courtes histouaithes et descriptions dé difféthentes choses pouor Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine tchi sont des livrets dé p'tites histouaithes, poésies, courtes descriptions d'pliaiches et vacances, pousselîns et compétitions, publiés touos les trais mais.
Dgiêx mots chouaîsi à Dgi l'adèrt înspithîtent nos êfforts d'graie nos propres vèrsions îndividuelles. Épis acouo, jé chouaîsînmes un sujet pouor êcrithe eune histouaithe en faîsant sèrvi not' înmaginnâtion. Ès autres rêunnions, j'êcrivînmes des histouaithes en faîsant les difféthentes conjugaisons comme lé présent et lfutur, et l'împarfait et lconditionnel.
Lé mais d'Mai fut hardi affaithé auvec deux Fêtes et la publyicâtion dé not' livre. Deux membres participîtent à La Fête Nouormande à Bric'bé au nord du Cotentîn tchi 'tait bein organnîsée et bein populaithe, et les Jèrriais gângnîtent plusieurs prix et eune médale duthant les présentâtions en Nouormand, Jèrriais et Dgèrnésiais. Étout i' y'avait des maîtres dLangues dé l'Unnivèrsité d'Caën et plusieurs Députés d'la région. Not' Collection, un întérêssant mêlange dé toutes sortes d'êcrituthes en Jèrriais duthant les dreins chent chînquante ans, fut heutheusement prête à vendre.
Eune s'maine pus tard, i' y' eut eune lanch'chie dans La Salle des Membres dé La Sociêté quand l'Président d'la Section donnit ès învités des patates Rouoyales, du nièr beurre et "cratchis" et des tâssées d'cidre au lieu d'vîn et brinnottes.
À la fîn d'Mai, La Foire dé Jersey fut présentée à La Trinneté et j'aîdgînmes à l'êtalage du Jèrriais pouor la vendue d'livrets, affiches et gammes, et tout chein qu'La Section avait aîdgi à prépather.
Eune autre p'tit projet d'întéthêt pouor nous fut eune èrveue dchent vèrbes Jèrriais auvec toutes lus conjugaisons, pouor être publié comme livre d'pouchette en couleu et auvec înmages conmiques, comme iun d'eune série d'vèrbes des langues du monde.
Au mais d'Juilet, L'Office du Jèrriais fit contact auvec les pâleurs d'Gallo en Brétangne et not' président nos donnit un livret conmique en Gallo prépathé par les êcolièrs dé Lamballe et Loudéac pouor eune hardi întérêssante séthée dé traduction. Chutte langue est la langue gallo-romaine (ou Britto-Romaine) pâlée à l'êst d'eune lîngne dé St. Brieuc à Vannes en Haute Brétangne jusqu'à La Nouormandie, tandi qu'les Brétons en Bâsse Brétangne à l'ouêst pâlent la langue Celtique des înmigrants dla Cornouaille et d'Galles. Auprès les Fêtes, j'fûmes au "jour publyi" à La Ferme pouor chanter en Jèrriais et Français, souos la direction dé Tony Scott Warren, au publyi bein content. Duthant lannée, nou nos dmandit pouor d'laîgue et d înformâtion entouor lé Jèrriais, spécialement pouor les nouvieaux mots et j'aîdgînmes à vérifier eune liste composée par Geraint Jennings, Tony Scott Warren et CColin Ireson.
Au stembre, jcmenchînmes à pratitchi séthieusement pouor lEisteddfod auprès aver chouaîsi eune poésie, courte et dêlié entouor lavoût qué jpouôrréthions liéthe auvec expression, Jsommes en Avou par Elie êcrite à la style dLa Marseillaise… mais jé nla chantînmes pas. Pouor not présentâtion jèrchûmes not pus haut cèrtificat, iun dé pliatinne, un photo et dla publyicité dans la Gâzette. La Section des êcolièrs tait étout un grand succès et un grand pliaîsi douï lus èrcitâtions.
En Novembre, Laurie Huelin nos aîdgit acouo quand i donnit les véthitablyes archives de sa collection dpoésie et ptites pièches dthiâtre des Eisteddfodau dé touos les ans dépis 1950. Jles donnînmes à lOffice du Jèrriais pouor lus rcords et pouor les copier. Pus tard, tchiques exemplyes ssont sélectionnées par La Section comme projets pouor publyicâtion. Ds autres dons consistent dé livrets publiés par A. A. Le Gros duthant les 1860s et 1870s souos l' titre dLa Nouvelle Année, et auvec des glossaithes întérêssants pouor nos vocabulaithes.
À la fîn d'l'an, i y'avait lé grand programme d'la Fête dé Noué, les cantiques dé Noué en Ville, les cantiques et les danses au Vièr Marchi auvec les commèrçants Nouormands, et L'Sèrvice Annuel à léglyise dé St. André, touos auvec les êcolièrs et lus pathents.
Duthant 2007, i y'avait acouo des d'fauts d'êpelage Français et d'omission daccents sus les affiches publyiques, les noms d'cliôsées d'maîsons, dans la Gâzette et même dans les m'nus împrînmés pouor les restaurants. I semblye qué, maûgré la rédaction par les auteurs, i n'y'a pas drédaction des brouoillons des împrînmeurs. Quouaiqué ché nsait pas l'travas dla Section, nou s'en d'mente en dgettant Bon Santé au dssus dlus du restaurant à lHôpita!
Enfîn, i y'a eune bouonne sélection d'livrets en couleu et d'cassettes à l'Office d'la Sociêté pouor autchun tchi voudrait apprendre not' langue ou augmenter lus vocabulaithe.
Mèrcie chent mille fais à tout lmonde tchi nos ont aîdgi duthant lannée, et si ya autchuns lecteurs tch'ont des collections darticlyes en Jèrriais, ou des photos du temps pâssé, et dé tchi qui voudraient donner à La Sociêté, ou tch ont bésoin daîgue à traduithe lé Jèrriais, si vos pliaît contactez LOffice dLa Sociêté (758314), John Clarke (873556) ou Ralph Nichols (862756).
Ralph Nichols (Ségrétaithe).
Our second decade started in January 2007 and during the first meetings we celebrated the event by completing the editing of our first Collection of Jèrriais Literature for printing and publication at La Fête Normande in May. During our meetings we also composed short pieces of prose for Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine, a quarterly booklet of modern Jèrriais short stories, poems, descriptions of holiday places, puzzles and compositions.
Our contributions were short stories composed around ten unrelated words designed to exercise our imaginations. At other times, we composed short stories using themes, and later in the year we revised certain tenses by writing or translating using the present and future tenses or the imperfect and the conditional.
The month of May was a busy one with two of our section attending La Fête Nouormande at Briquebec in the Cotentin and later, La Foire de Jersey at the RJA&HS in Trinity. La Fête Nouormande was well organised and attended by people speaking Norman, Jerriais and Dgèrnésiais; it also included members of staff from the University of Caen and deputies from the regions. Medals and prizes were won by members of the Jersey contingent who represented L'Assembliée d'Jèrriais, the students, L'Office du Jèrriais and the Section, Geraint Jennings coming back with a small haul!
Our Collection of Jèrriais Literature was printed on time and taken across for display and sale, the variety of 150 years of published material arousing much interest among the Norman speakers. A week later, it was launched in Jersey at small meeting which was hosted by John Clarke, our Chairman, who provided fresh Jersey Royals, Nièr Beurre, cream crackers and cups of cider as a tasty alternative to canapés and wine.
At the end of May, La Foire de Jersey was held in Trinity and Jèrriais was on display with a variety teaching resources in booklets, posters and games, as well as other books which the Section had helped to prepare and publish; and all this opposite the Jersey Wonders stand.
Another publication of note with which the Section was involved was a colourful pocket book of Jèrriais verbs, part of an international series of verb conjugations. The verbs in our language are presented very simply and clearly with cartoons and with all their tenses and conjugations easy to access, especially for our compositions.
In July, LOffice du Jèrriais developed links with Gallo speakers in Brittany. East of a line, approximately from St. Brieuc to Vannes, this language is the gallo-roman (or Britto-Roman) spoken in Haute Bretagne (Le Pays Gallo) as far east as Normandy since c. 400AD, while Breton from immigrant Cornish and Welsh was spoken more in Basse Bretagne, west of this line. An example of a childrens cartoon booklet in Gallo, compiled by pupils from schools in Lamballe and Loudéac, was brought back by our Chairman and really tested our translation abilities during a Section meeting.
In addition to the two fêtes, we joined the students at La Ferme for its summers Open Day under Tony Scott Warrens direction to sing Jèrriais and French songs to an appreciative public.
We continued to receive requests for help and information about Jèrriais, especially for neologisms (new words) and we helped to check a list provided by Geraint Jennings, Tony Scott Warren and Colin Ireson.
In the Autumn, rehearsals started in earnest for the Jèrriais Choral Speaking Section of the Eisteddfod and we chose a short, lively poem about harvest time, entitled Jsommes en Avou by Elie written in the style of La Marseillaise. We were helped by a recording from Laurie Huelin but we thought it better not to sing it!
For our performance, ably guided by Geraint, we received our highest award yet, a Platinum Certificate, and later, island wide publicity via a report and photograph in La Gazette (JEP). The pupils contributions were excellent and it was a pleasure to see and hear their progress.
In November, we were again helped by Laurie Huelin, our Section member working from home, who donated a veritable archive and treasure trove in the form of his large collection of poetry, prose and short plays from the Eisteddfodau of the last fifty years. We examined them all, amazed at the imagination, humour and skills they contained, and passed them on to L'Office du Jèrriais for recording and preservation. Various examples will be suggested by LOffice for the Section to work on as its next publications project to present examples of the wealth of literary talent in the community. Other donations included livrets entitled La Nouvelle Année, compiled by Augustus A. Le Gros in the 1860s and 1870s with very interesting glossaries.
Finally, at the end of the year, there was a full programme of Jèrriais carol singing and even dancing in the Vièr Marchi, with the Normandy Traders for La Fête de Noué, and the Annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in Jèrriais at St. Andrews Church. All of these were attended by pupils and their parents, again a pleasure to see.
Throughout the year, we continued to notice and report errors in the spelling of French and the omission of accents in public notices, housing estate names, in the JEP and on many professionally printed menus. It seems that despite editing at source there is little or no editing of the printers final proofs. Although not part of the Sections work it did make us wonder when we saw Bon Santé over the doorway to the Hospital restaurant!
There is a good selection of colourful Jèrriais booklets and cassettes at La Société's office for anyone interested in learning the language and /or increasing their vocabulary.
Thank you again to everyone who has helped us during the year, and if any reader has any family collections of Jèrriais articles, or photographs they would like to donate to the Section, or requires any help with translating Jèrriais, please contact La Société Jersiaise office, John Clarke, or Ralph Nichols (862756). Mèrcie chent mille fais à tout lmonde.
Ralph Nichols (Ségrétaithe).
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