Les Fieillets Jèrriais
Septembre 2005
Salutâtions tout l'monde, lé mais d'Septembre est ichîn et s'tembre est sus l'horizon!
Thank you to all those who attended last month's 'vocal' meeting at which we were able to clarify some of the remaining requirements for the Anthology of Jèrriais Literature. For the older amongst us and those without computers or who are unfamiliar with computer terms - don't worry – the old information retrieval systems still work and will be always gratefully used - and the information will be passed on to the technically wise!
Thank you too, Collette for continuing the contacts with people in Normandy and for passing on requests and literature in both directions, one poem of which describes in Norman, Denise Veron's feelings on finding Jèrriais still being spoken. This will be available at the next meeting.
François also kindly helped out with corrections to the Jèrriais vocabulary in our July report of the visit to Lé Pinnacl'ye, as follows: eune raide falaise (a steep cliff) should read – eune falaise d'apic; d's êprivièrs (hawks) should read – d's êteurcélets; dgépant (hovering) might read voltigant, this to be explored further; and des g'naches des houlettes (small pieces of earthenware pottery) should read des mios or des morcieaux...... as g'naches is used for small pieces (of seaweed).
Our visit to Samarès Manor with lunch was excellent and revealing. The collection of agricultural implements is excellently displayed but the signs are in English despite all our work. We have asked the Seigneur for a list of all the machinery, transport and tools displayed so we can provide him with the translations we have already done which hopefully can be printed as professional signs during the winter.
Also at our meeting, members were shown an HSBC paying-in envelope in the dual languages of English and Welsh so another avenue is being explored to use Jèrriais in the same way; more later.
The rest of the month saw little activity, probably due to holidays. The article in the JEP commenting on the cost and future status of Jèrriais was only the journalist's personal opinion and seemed to fill the space for the author in the same way she thought about the announcement of the subject matter at this time of year!
On the language front, a common mis-pronounciation by a local TV news presenter had the popular resort of La Grève de Lecq become a burial ground as in ...'Grave de Lecq' but an even greater variation was heard from a tourist who ordered a 'Salad Nickoyze', although it was spelt and accented correctly on the menu board!
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, 7th September at 8.00pm in the Arthur Mourant Room at La Société for some fun language practice, individual readings and an overdue Eisteddfod practice for those available!
À la préchaine.
John Clarke (Président)
Ralph Nichols (Ségrétaithe)
R'tou à la page d'siez-mé | Back to home page