Les Fieillets Jèrriais
Avri 2002
Salutâtions tout l'monde, ch'est Pâques bein vite! Thank you everybody for the excellent meeting this month. The numbers certainly helped us to complete the initial labelling of the equipment at Lé Mangni d' Sanmathès and the mental exercise of memory searching, occasionally prompted by Geraint's digital camera computer images, was intense at times!
Having nearly completed this will allow us time to concentrate on the remaining work and then on a review of the Food Festival material for 19th May and the Sections' material for La Société's Fête Normande day on 9th June.
We received a letter from the Jersey Woodturners asking for a check on the meaning of a diton, which aroused our curiosity. The diton,“ Nou n'peut empêchi la mé d'monter” had been translated literally and had resulted in “ We can't stop the sea rising”. The other versions in the Dictionnaire were checked under 'mé' and 'mathée' and all naturally referred to the sea and tide, and of course in Les Mille Ditons….the English equivalent was checked and the enquirer was given-“Time and tide waits for no man”- hence the curiosity! Although translations are a risky thing to do so we're told, they are interesting because they reveal the ideas and the Jersey meaning behind the saying. Other variations in English might have been-“you might as well try and stop the sea rising” or “ the tide coming in”. In Jersey, it seems that 'time' was not included in the thinking! The Woodturners have given us another project too and would like titles for items they have at their Craft Barn at Samarès Manor.
Apart from the several mistakes in spelling and omission of accents on the forthcoming road works maps in the JEP, always an interesting exercise in error spotting, there is nothing extra to report.
The next meeting will be held in the Arthur Mourant Room at La Société on Wednesday 3rd. April at 8pm to finalise the translations of the pieces of equipment- and their use.
A la Préchaine,
Jayne Le B. Nichols (Présidente)