Patois in the Islands....Simple lessons

iuernsey needs to do all it can to preserve Patois (Guernsey French), according to the Guernsey French group.
In a drive to preserve Guernsey French, the States appointed Jan Marquis as a language officer earlier this year.
The amount of islanders speaking the dialect, also known as Guernesiaise has declined in the last few decades.
Tony Snell from island French group the "Gang from the West" said it can be difficult for Patois speakers to find fellow francophones to converse with.
Guernesiaise is a derivitive of Norman French, which evolved from Latin. (from BBC Guernsey)


We will be posting online a few simple lessons in Patois from both Islands...

Every week we will be putting a few phases on the site to help understand the Islands native language so here goes (from the BBC)

Jersey Patois

Basic phrases	Tch'est qu'est vot' nom? Man nom est......	What's your name? My name is.......
	Comme est qu'ous êtes? Comme est qu'tu'es? Comment va?	How are you? (formal) How are you? (informal) How are you? (colloquial)
	J'sis d'charme Pon trop mal Malheutheux Malheutheuse	I'm fine Not too bad Bad (for men) Bad (for women)

Guernsey Patios

Banjour, comme tchi que l'affaire va?
(banzhoor, kom tcheek laffair va?)
Good-day/hello, how are you?

En amas bien, merci.
(en ama byõ, mair-see.)
Very well, thank you.

Pas trop mal, merci, et dauve vous?
(pa tro mal mair-see, eh dohv voo?)
Not too bad, thank you. And you?

Vites-ous le Praesse, méquerdi?
(veetoo le Prasse, mekerdi?)
Did you see the Press on Wednesday?

Oui, i dit, "Le Guernésiais est-i difficile à llierre
(wee, ee dee, "leh jer-nez-yeah eh-tee di-fi-seel a yeahr?")
Yes, it said, "Is Guernsey-French difficult to read?"

Pas si tu l'llies dans l' Praesse.
(pah si-tul yeh dorl Prasse.)
Not if you read the Press.

V'là qui vaout!
(vla kee vow!)
That's good/Well done!

À la perchoine.
(a la pairshoyn.)
Good-bye/'til the next time.

You any good at patois post, something in patios, but please give an english meaning after so we can all learn

Have fun...

The children at our Girls Brigade are learning this at their school]#
i was delighted to hear them chatting in patios even if they did have to tell me what theywere saying after
just hope they told the truth lol

Weather

Jersey Patois


What's the weather like today?
Tchi temps qu'j'avons aniet?

It's fine weather.
I' fait bieau temps.

It's bad weather.
I' fait mauvais temps.

The weather seems settled.
Lé temps pathaît fait.

It's warm.
I' fait caud.

It's cold.
I' fait fraid.

It's fine sunny weather.
I' fait bieau solé.

It's fine, now.
I' fait bé, achteu.

How hot it is!
Fait-i' caud!

It's raining
I' tchait d'la plyie

It's drizzling
I' brousse

It's stormy
I' fait d'l'ôrage

a thunderclap
un coup d'ôrage

a bolt of lightning
un êpart d'feu

a downpour
un abat d'plyie

The weather's getting worse
Lé temps s'gâte


General

Guernsey Patois

Étes-ous bian, ogniet?
(ay-too byo, onyeh?)
Are you well today?

Oui, merci. Faus pas s'pllaindre.
(wee, mair-see. Fo pa spee-oynd.)
Yes, thank you. Mustn't complain.

Mais, fait-i, fré, ogniet!
(may fet-ee freh, onyeh)
But isn't it cold today.

Vère dja, mais pas tant comme hiaer.
(Vair dja, may pa tah kom ee-ahr)
Oh yes, but not as cold as yesterday.

Voul-ous enne coupaïe d'thee?
(voo-loo en koo-pye d tay?)
Do you want a cup of tea?

Oui, s'i'vous pllait.
(wee see voo pyay.)
Yes, please.

Pern-ous du lait?
(pern-oo du leh?)
Do you take milk?

Oui, mais pas du chucre.
(wee, may pa du shuk)
Yes, but not sugar.

Voul-ous enne p'tite goute?
(voo-loo en pteet goot?)
Do you want a little tipple?

Oui, s'i vous pllait. À vot' sàntaïe!
(wee, see voo pyay. Ah sah-tye)
Yes please. Your good health!

Patios should be taught in schools.

I agree Pete or it will die out.

yes i do agree pete that is such a shame, we are guernsey not english

i agree patois should be taught in schools.it is very important to keep the language and culture of the island alive.

I think if you have a good knowledge of french, you cant really go wrong with Patois! Its similar, though i appreciate its not exactly the same.

Its certainly an interesting language!

Jersey Patois

Money

un pénîn deux pénîns chîn pénîns dgiêx pénîns vîngt pénîns chînquante pénîns un louis chîn louis dgiêx louis vîngt louis chînquante louis Mèrcie bein des fais Guernsey Patois

one penny two pence five pence ten pence twenty pence fifty pence one pound five pounds ten pounds twenty pounds fifty pounds Thank you very much

Written in Patois
Phonetic spelling
In English

I' fait pus bal ogniet.
(I feh pu bal, onyeh)
It's nicer weather, today.

Vair, mais le temps est couvaert.
(Vair, may le toh eh koo-var)
Yes, but it's overcast.

I' s'en va ventair, d'moin.
(I soh va voh-tye, d'moy)
It's going to be windy, tomorrow.

Vair, i'l' aont dit sus le wireless.
(wee, eel an dee sul wireless)
Yes, they said so on the radio.

Voul-ous enne coupaïe d'coffee?
(voo-loo en koo-pye d kofee?)
Do you want a cup of coffee?

Oh oui dja, et j'ai grànd fôim.
(oh wee dja, eh zhay grah foy)
Oh, yes, and I'm very hungry!

Pernaïz d'la gâche ou enne galaette, si vous en voulaïz.
(Pairn-eye dla garsh oo en gah-lat see vooz oh vool-eye)
Take some cake or a (Guernsey) biscuit if you like.

Merci, j'oïme en amas les galaettes, mais j'oïme mux la gâche.
(Mair-see. Zhoym en amah lay gah-lat, may zhoym muh la garsh)
Thank you, I like biscuits a lot, but I prefer cake.

Voul-ous acore du coffee ou d'la gâche?
(Voo-loo ah-core du kofee oo dla garsh)
Do you want more coffee or cake?

Nen-nin merci, j'en ai iaeux assaïz.
(Norn-eye mair-see. Zhen-ay eye ahs-eye)
No, thank you. I have had enough.

Jersey Patois

	La Faithe la Fête dé Noué un crapaud un âne un corbîn un lapîn	the fair (also Minden Place) Christmas festival a toad (a Jerseyman) a donkey (a Guernseyman) a crow (a Sarkee) a rabbit (someone from Alderney)
	sus à dans souos en driéthe en d'vant dé	on at, in in under in (a place) behind in front of
	où'est qu'est l'cat? il est souos la tchaîse où'est qu'est Jean? il est en Dgèrnésy où'est qu'est la gâzette? oulle est dans l'aithe	where's the cat? it's under the chair where's John? he's in Guernsey where's the newspaper? it's on the floor (it's in the floor)
	où'est qué j'sommes? j'sommes dans l'gardîn où'est qu'ous êtes? j'sis driéthe la muthâle	where are we? we're in the garden where are you? I'm behind the wall

Guernsey Patois

Written in Patois
Phonetic spelling
In English
Av-ous mangi vot'déjunaï, à matin?
(Av-oo morzhi vot dezhernye ah matah-ee?)
Have you eaten your breakfast this morning?
Qui, j'ai mangi du pôin tôtaï.
(Wee, jeh morzhi du poy toe-tye)
Yes, I have eaten some toast.
Ôim-ous du beurre et d'la g'laïe sus vot'pôin?
(Oy-moo du bur eh dla zhl-eye su vot poy?)
Do you like butter and jam on your bread?
Oui, j'ôime la marmélade, mais j'ôime mux la g'laïe de frâises.
(Wee, zhoym la marmelard, may zhoym mu la zhl-eye deh farz.)
Yes, I like marmelade, but I prefer strawberry jam.
parfeis, j'mange en oeu bouilli, ou en oeu fricachi.
(Parfay, zhe morzh en er boo-yi, oo en er free-kashee)
Sometimes, I eat a boiled egg, or a fried egg.
A quaï haeure mange-ous vot' dénaïr?
(Ah kye ire morzh-oo vot day nye?)
At what time do you eat lunch?
Ichi'in en Guernési nous mange not' désnaïr à méjeu.
(Ee-shah-ee djair-nayzi noo morzh not day-nye ah mezher)
Here in Guernsey we eat our lunch at mid day.
Tchi que vous mangeaïz pour vot' dénaïr?
(Ckeek voo morzh-eye poor vot day-nye?)
What do you eat for your lunch?
Je mange d'la viànde ou du païssaon, dauve des patates et des légumes.
(Zhe morzh dla vee-ahd oo du pye-sang, dohv day patat eh day lejerm)
I eat meat or fish, with potatoes and vegetables.
Chutte semoine il a tcheis d'la gerzille. (Hard "g" as in "Gertrude")
(Shut semoyn eel a chay dla gerzeel)
This week it has hailed.
Chutte semoine il a tcheis d'la neis.
(Shut semoyn eel a chay dla nay)
This week it has snowed.
Enne chique.
(En sheek)
A snowflake.
Ch'est du temps à neis.
(Shay du toe ah nay)
It is snowy weather.
I'y avait dla gllache sus les rues.
(Ee yavay dla gyash su lay ru)
There was ice on the roads.

I am so glad that you are posting all these as I have wanted to learn Patois all my life. Damn them for not teaching it in schools!

Thank you

yes my grandpa would only speak patois - so I understood it well but when he died (age 92 and never having gone further than St Peter Port twice a year from the Vale) he took it with him - more's the pity!!!!

it would be great if someone would write a dictionary before it is to late...I think it would sell like bean jar.

I think if you phone the Lexicon they might have one - they used to keep them....

Guernsey patois is based on Norman French, but like many regional dialects, it is in danger of dying out. Generally only older residents and a handful of enthusiasts still use the language. Until the Second World War, English was hardly spoken but the evacuation of half of the island's population to England ended centuries of tradition. Many children returned to Guernsey not knowing the patois.
A number of books and a dictionary have been published together with tape recordings. Some would like to see the language taught in schools, but so far this has not been practical. However Guernseyman Keith Le Cheminant wants to change all that and has been in touch with Headmaster Ron Depres at La Hougette Primary school. Mr Depres has said that he is willing for the school to pilot a Guernsey patois course outside of normal school lessons. The organisation Les Ravigotteurs has been putting together a syllabus for children aged eight to ten.
Mr Le Cheminant believes that less than 1,000 people now speak the native tongue and most are over fifty apart from himself and a couple of others. The College of Further Education at one stage ran a course on the patois but was cancelled due to low numbers. The Scots and Welsh have gone to considerable lengths to keep their languages alive and he believes that Guernsey should do likewise. Ultimately only teaching in schools would turn the situation around.
Local street names and family surnames are evidence of the island's Norman French roots but increasingly only English names are used which is a great shame as part of our heritage is being lost forever.

So...... let's badger the Education dept and have it taught in schools then!!!

My mother's mother was the last in our family to speak patois but she refused to teach us as kids as 'English' was the 'modern' language!! What about our heritage? Makes me really cross that this is so much going to become a lost language....

It is not, however, too late IMO, and we could do something about it. Get onto your deputy (some of them are Guerns after all!!) and let us not allow this language of our fathers and their fathers to die out due to our inaction......






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I resent my children being taught Guernsey patois at school as English is their future and mastering English is what they need to do. If the school think they are proficient enough in English then they should give them lessons in a more useful language like French, German, Spanish, Italian or even Russian.

Seems Cockney that you should go back to your location!

I resent my children being taught Guernsey patois at school ...

Well that's a bit strong Cockney....... Get real please....

If you had moved elsewhere, say France for example, you would "RESENT" your children learning another language!! English is taught as a 'given' in Guernsey, so no issues there. Good job you haven't moved to Wales then, isn't it?

Incomers need to be accepting of the ways - and language! - of the country that they move to IMO.





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My kids learn in school German, English and Italian also the local language Austrian...I don't see what the problem is........If they can then why can't the English....


Were not talking about teaching patois as the main language but as a second or third language to keep the tradition alive.....

[quote="karma"]I think if you phone the Lexicon they might have one - they used to keep them....

Thanks Karma.I will try to find a copy the next time I'm in Guernland... :party3:

Dell, if I moved to any other country then I would learn their language but there is no comparison in going to France and learning their language as their language is live where as patois is, for all intents and purposes, dead. Teaching my children patois is wasting their time at school when they could be learning something more useful. I'm not against the language and think it shouldn't be left to die out completely. I'm sure there are enough people around to keep it going for historical purposes.

I'm sure there are enough people around to keep it going for historical purposes.

If only cockney, if only........ :(




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