Papa m'a explyitchi tout entouor Halloween!

Ch'est tout fîn fliambant neu pouor Halloween: Papa est d'èrtou! V'là tch'est bein quand un mousse peut apprendre aupi d'san Papa, car Papa est tréjous heutheux d'rêpondre ès tchestchions et raconter d's histouaithes du temps pâssé. Mais nou peut-i' craithe tout chein qu'i' dit - sustout quand il "explyique" Halloween au pouôrre moussetchot?

It's smoking hot for Halloween: we've got a brand new "Papa" story! It's a good thing for a lad to learn from his Grandad who's always happy to answer questions and tell stories of time past. But can everything he says be believed - especially when he "explains" Halloween to the poor wee lad?

Papa m'a explyitchi tout entouor Halloween!

"Pouortchi?" qué j'dis à Papa eune séthée auprès l'thée: "Pouortchi qu'les chorchièrs au temps pâssé 'taient si lâssés?"

"Tchi qui t'a dit qu'les chorchièrs 'taient lâssés, man fistaud?" qu'Papa m'rêponnit auve eune tchestchion.

"Ch'est en tchi j'tais siez lé Harvey Podêtre, tch'est un garçon dans ma cliâsse à l'êcole. Sa fanmil'ye a eune grande maîson auve un tas d'tèrrain. Lus maîson est grande et vielle et bâtie en grannit auve un tas d'appartéments. La maîson soulait êt' eune fèrme et il' ont convèrti la vielle êtabl'ye en eune bangnérêsse et la boulangu'thie dans eune salle à billards..."

"Il' ont un magl'ye dé bein, don," qu'Papa dit. "Ch'est-i' qu'i' sont des chorchièrs tch'ont enchorchélé tout chenna auve lus scîn? Ch'n'est pon ravissant qu'i' sont lâssés s'i' sont tréjous à env'yer des sorts pouor aver des sou!"

L'Malîn Esprit

"L'Malîn Esprit", par George D'La Forge (êcrit en 1972), liu par Geraint Jennings pouor Halloween.

A story/article written in 1972 by George d'La Forge about beliefs in the Devil, including an anecdote about the cloven-hoofed one taking a carriage ride in Saint John!

• Lé Dgiâbl'ye

RIP Hamish Robertson CB, MBE, colonial administrator

From an obituary in The Scotsman:

Hamish Robertson CB, MBE, colonial administrator

Born: 6 April, 1931, in Jersey. Died: 10 September 2013, in Dollar, aged 82

Hamish Robertson, who died at his home in Dollar in September, played a critically important role in the early years of Malawi’s independence and later enjoyed a successful career as a senior civil servant in the Scottish Office.

Hamish was born and spent his early years in Jersey, where his father James worked in the Agricultural Department. He began his education in the parish school in Trinity, where the playground language was Jerriais, and enjoyed the freedom to roam over fields and beaches.

All this came to an abrupt end in June 1940 when the family were evacuated on the last boat to leave before the Germans arrived. Hamish vividly remembered seeing Cherbourg blazing under German gunfire as they steamed north. (...)

Badlabecques pouor Halloween

Badlabecques jouent l'Rigodon d'Chorchel'lie à la Faîs'sie d'Cidre 2013.
Here's a snippet of the Witches' Rigadoon.

Tchiques patholes pouor Halloween - Some words for Halloween

Du vocabulaithe pouor Halloween:
Some Halloween vocab sound files:


r'vénants = ghosts


ponserêsse = nightmare


chorchell'lie = sorcery


chorchi = wizard, witch (m)


chorchiéthe = witch (f)


enchorchéler = bewitch, cast spell


d'senchorchéler = remove spell, exorcise


tchéthaud = white wizard; leader of coven

Jersey Naturalist: The Crapaud - November Blog

Jersey Naturalist: The Crapaud - November Blog: The Crapaud ( Bufo bufo ) Welcome! (Séyiz les beinv'nu!)  Why are we called Crapauds? The long-standing rivalry bet...

Mêfie-té des cats!

"Mêfie-té des cats!" dans l'livret "Mêfie-té des monstres!": eune histouaithe liue pouor Halloween par Geraint Jennings.

"Mêfie-té des monstres!" is an illustrated reader containing graded versions of Jersey legends. Here's a reading for Halloween of the story of the Cat of Lé Carrefour à Cendre.

Chu Preunmié Noué

"Chu Preunmié Noué" (That First Christmas) is a small booklet retelling a version of the Nativity story in simple Jèrriais with colourful pictures.

It follows the successful launch of "Toute la Pêque": a set of 6 new children's simple story books in Jèrriais published at the end of September. The text in English can be read alongside the Jèrriais on each page - in the same fold-out format as "Toute la Pêque".

This perfect stocking-filler will be out for Christmas. Price £3

Download the order form

L'Gronneux

L'Gronneux

par AALG

Janmais content, gronnant tréjous,
Du Dînmanche à la fîn d'la s'maine
I' fait des rouaux et crie sus tous;
Ch'est chance qu'i' n'en pèrde haleine:
Vraîment, jé crai, s'i' n'pouvait mus,
I gronn'nait, criethait, acouo pus.

L'Office est ouèrte - half-term opening

L'Office du Jèrriais est ouèrte: nou-s'est en travas duthant l'mié-tèrme Lundi à Jeudi. Bouonne vacanche ès êtudgiants!

During half-term we're at work in L'Office until end Thursday, when the skeleton service will be knocking off for Halloween. We hope our students enjoy their holiday week!

L'èrtèrgéthie dé l'heuthe – Putting the clocks back

L'èrtèrgéthie dé l'heuthe – Putting the clocks back

Acouo eune fais (once again) it's time to èrtèrgi l'heuthe (put the clocks back). So it's temps (time) to go round l's hôlouoges (the clocks) in order to changi (change) l'heuthe (the hour or the time).

Don't forget la mouontre (the watch) and l's hôlouoges digitales (digital clocks) on all your machinn'nie (appliances). You might need to chèrfouoilli (rummage) for lé livret d'înstructions (instruction booklet) for lé vidgo (the video) before c'menchi (starting) to èrprogrammer (reprogramme) the little mouontréthie blyîntchante (blinking display)!

Dictionary addenda

tchaffer = to cut chaff; to crank
(r'ssource: GW de Carteret 5/11/1921)

Badlabecques à la Faîs'sie d'Cidre 2013

Badlabecques à la Faîs'sie d'Cidre 2013

Council for Culture conference: the importance of the Jèrriais language

Jersey.com annonche:

Culture Conference to explore the French connection

This year’s Council for Culture conference will examine cultural links between Jersey and France. Topics for discussion include:

• attitudes to the arts and heritage
• projects linking the Island with Normandy and Brittany
• the importance of the Jèrriais language

Visiting speakers are Dr Mari Jones, Reader in French Linguistics and Language Change at the University of Cambridge, and Benoît Lemennais, who is responsible for cultural education at the Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie in Caen.

Jersey delegation to view Manx language teaching

Lé gouvèrnément Manx rapporte:

A Delegation from Jersey will visit the Island this week to find out how the Manx language is taught and promoted.

The delegation will be headed by Deputy Rod Bryans, Assistant Minister for Education, Sport and Culture in Jersey’s parliament, the States. Joining him will be Tony Scott Warren, the head of L’Office du Jerriais, Jersey’s language, Jean Le Maistre, a former, long-serving Member of the States and current President of Le Don Balleine, the Jerriais teaching programme, and Rod McLoughlin, the States’ Cultural Adviser.

During their two-day visit on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October, they will meet Rob Teare, the Head of the Manx Language Unit, who co-ordinates the peripatetic Manx language teachers. Visits to Queen Elizabeth II High School and St John’s Primary School will give them opportunities to observe Manx lessons and talk with pupils and sixth form students studying Manx to A level. They will also visit the Manx-medium primary school, Bunscoill Ghaelgagh in St John’s. Some members of the group will arrive ahead of the main group and will visit the Mooinjer Veggey nursery at Ballacottier.

La Faîs'sie d'Cidre en portraits

Tchiques portraits halés à la Faîs'sie d'Cidre:
Some cidermaking weekend photos:

Mèrcie bein des fais!

J'avons ag'vé l's Êtudes Jèrriaises dans tchiques êcoles (j'avons acouo à finni dans d'aut's) - et des mousses nos ont grée des mangnifiques cartes pouor dithe mèrcie bein des fais et à bétôt.

We've completed Jersey Studies in some schools (yet to finish in others) and some of the children have made super cards to say "thank you" and "goodbye".

Nou lavait à matîn not' Cénotaphe

Nou lavait à matîn not' Cénotaphe
auve eune cranne atout des piêssants jets dg'ieau.
En êclyichant l'ieau finne tch'êputhe et paffe
et êcliûthe, ch'est d'èrcrouaîsi bein les tuaux.

Ch'est d'même qué j'arrouôsons not' saint grannit;
j'gardons nos monuments nets et lithants;
ainchîn nos mèrs et mémouaithes sont nettis
et j'èrgriyons nos morts tchées et tchiyants.

Au temps pâssé nou criyait qu'nos pouquelayes
'taient pouor les sacrifices - des pièrres d'auté:
un grand prêtre attînté dé dgi griyait
ses victînmes onguennées souos san couté.

Si ch'est atout dé l'ieau ou bein du sang
qu'nou l's arrouôse - ch'est des lèrmes ès monuments.

22/10/2013

Angelina

Magène annonche:

Aaah, Angelina...
Notre nouveau CD sortira en novembre 2013. Cliquez sur l'image pour en savoir plus sur ce disque entièrement consacré à Joseph Mague, un étonnant auteur (quasi inconnu, mais oui) du Bessin du 19e siècle.
Quant au prochain CD de Théo et de son groupe, son enregistrement est désormais terminé. Il comprend de nombreux titres inédits de Côtis-Capel et d'Alphonse Allain qui font partie du spectacle actuel. Sa sortie est prévue début 2014.

Blurred Lines - Faillie Brecque

Nou l'a d'mandé: eune vèrsion Jèrriaise d'la chanson Blurred Lines (mais j'n'avons pon fait d'vidgo!):
By request: a Jèrriais version of the lyrics to the song Blurred Lines (no, we haven't made a video!)

Bouonnes gens, dansez! Hé!
Hé, hé, hé
Hé, hé, hé
Hé, hé, hé

S'tu n'peux pon ouï chein qué j'té di
S'tu n'peux pon liéthe du même papi
bein don ch'est qué j'ouai haut
ou bein j'sis êgalué
ou bein j'sis hors dé sé

Eh bein i' 'tait tan tchoeu
voulait t'apprivouaîsi
mais tu'es un annima
pouor té ch'est bein aisi
j'voudrais té dêbraiesi
tu'éthas raîque à l'laîssi
tu n'dai pon prend' s'n avis
et j'm'en vais mé prendre eune si

Bouonne fil'ye

Dictionary addenda

ieau potabl'ye = drinking water
(attestation: George d'La Forge 13/4/1978)

înfliammabl'ye = inflammable
(attestation: G W de Carteret 1/4/1916)

1916: literary identity games

Some multilingual authorial pre-postmodern hijinks from 1916:

A Jèrriais entertainment to raise funds for wounded soldiers was held on 23 February 1916. The English-language newspaper the Evening Post reviewed the production (part variety, with a one-act play) and gave a favourable mention to the singing performance of George W. de Carteret.

The French-language newspaper La Chronique de Jersey in their next issue published a review of the evening's entertainment by their Jèrriais columnist, Caouain. Caouain disagreed strongly with the Evening Post's opinion of G.W. de Carteret's performance. The joke here was that the review was indeed written by G. W. de Carteret under his pen-name of Caouain (as regular readers were perfectly aware). Caouain stated that could sing just as well as de Carteret; a statement that was logically and literally true, although the likelihood of the public challenge proceeding must have been doubtful.

To add to the fun, an editorial comment in French alongside the Jèrriais review took Caouain to task for daring to criticise de Carteret's performance, and potentially offending him and thereby losing the newspaper a reader.

So, here was a newspaper editor pretending to give a public dressing-down to his own columnist (pretending to be an owl) for (the pretence of) attacking one of the newspaper's readers (who was really one of the newspaper's staff and the owl's alter ego) - and the whole literary conceit required reading ability in three languages to fully appreciate. Here are relevant extracts from the original texts:

Des langues et des noes - Titbits

• ni feu ni feunque = neither fire nor smoke
• ni feu ni fouôngne = neither fire nor baking

• dans la caûminne, i' n'y'a ni feu ni feunque = the cottage is completely unoccupied
• i' n'a ni feu ni feunque = there's no spark to him
• i' n'y'avait ni feu ni fouôngne = there wasn't any heating or any food in the place

Attesté étout:

• ni feu ni fungue (Jersey Weekly Post 24/6/1916)

Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine

Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine, lé magâsîn du Jèrriais: lé neunmétho d'la Saint Miché est d'èrtou d'l'înmprînm'thie et s'sa bétôt siez les souscripteurs. Lé thème dé chu neunmétho est En Ûrope. J'avons la légende d'Ûropa, Sherlock Holmes dans l's Alpes, du mangi à Vire, du transport à Paris en 1908 et en 2009, des touônnées en Estonnie, Russie, et Sèr, et à Prague. Nou-s'a vîsité l'Mont Saint Miché en Dgèrnésiais, et nou-s'a campé en Ûrope. J'avons d'l'histouaithe, des fêtes, d'l'art et d'la poésie. Acatez ichîn.

In the Michaelmas number of the Jèrriais magazine (heading to subscribers imminently) there are articles, stories, poems and reports on the theme In Europe. There's transport, food, festivals, art, camping, classic detection, history and poetry... and even part of a visit to Mont Saint Michel in the Guernsey language. Subscribe here.

1964: Dgibrâltar - Gibraltar

Ches peûles dé grôsses têtes Espangnoles r'ont 'té à m'nichi nos couôsîns d'Dgibrâltar ch't Êté. Né v'chîn un but par George d'La Forge dé 1964:

George F. Le Feuvre passed through Gibraltar on his travels. This extract reads a bit like a proto-travelblog:

Gibraltar

Lé 18 dé mar nouos trouvit dans la cauchie à Gibraltar. Là, j'passis man temps à vaie d's anmîns qu'j'avais rencontré à Florence, en Italie, en 1950, où-est tch'il' 'taient à passer lus leune dé myi. Il' ont trais êfants à ch't heu, et lus deux garçons sont à l'êcole en Angliétèrre. Et pis j'passis tchique temps dans la belle Cathédrale Anglyicane dé La Sainte Trinité.

Tch’a bu, bétha

Tch’a bu, bétha.
Qui a bu, boira.
Ever drunk, ever dry.

Tattoo influenced work in Jèrriais

Nanette Regan raconte:

So I created three large prints, informed by traditional maritime tattoo imagery and incorporating phrases in Jèrriais, the indigenous language of the island.

Visible from The White House is Corbiere Lighthouse, another local landmark. Once a boat passes the lighthouse the sea suddenly calms, which gave rise to an expression that translates as "We've passed Corbiere" meaning the most difficult times are behind you. I love this phrase, so bound up in local landscape and the maritime history of the island.

La Journée d'la Poésie - National Poetry Day

Ch'est la Journée d'la Poésie. Lé thème ch't' année est: "Dé l'ieau, dé l'ieau, à touos les bords"

It's National Poetry Day: ‘Water’ is the subject of this year’s National Poetry Day, Thursday 3 October, inspired by Coleridge’s mariner’s famous cry: “Water, water, everywhere”

Dé l'ieau, dé l'ieau, à touos les bords
Water, water, everywhere

J'tais au Pliat Dou aniet pouor pâler dé la mé,
des mathées, des manchots, des vliques et des vlicots,
coumme lé bouôn mathinnyi en bait à la santé.
Il en a tchée d'la plyie, bein pus d'un p'tit sico,

et j'dis ès mousses d'achteu: not' mé, ch'est l'héthitage:
la mé boule dans l'artéthe dé tout bouôn p'tit Jèrriais;
la mé monte à not' tête; not' tchoeu bat l'pliein d'vâthage;
et l'dou pliat et paisibl'ye vaut not' pus grand boulais.

Oh ieau ieauseuse et sainte, veins m'êvâtchi acouo!
Jé fliott'tais dans tes bras, tes saûtchets atchilyants.
J'èrvèrrai dans tes louêmes des naïades n'yées ès fliots,
des pétales arouôs'rêsses, des roses dé l'ochéan.

Et quand l'ieau m'êvâqu'tha, j's'sai lavé avaû l'dou:
doux et mucre coumme du chucre; radouochi d'amièrdoux.