Dgèrnésiais
Guernésiais
Indo-European (Romance, Oïl, Norman)
Guernésiais (Dgèrnésiais), the Norman speech of the Channel Island of Guernsey, is the sister language of Jèrriais and the most divergent surviving Norman variety. It shares Norman conservatism (retention of /k/ before /a/: cat "cat") but is famous for its dramatic palatalization of /g/ to /dʒ/ word-initially even where Jèrriais keeps the velar — hence its own name Dgèrnésiais (vs. Jèrriais Guernésiais), and dgéthe "war" vs. French guerre. With perhaps only 200 fluent speakers remaining, almost all elderly, it is the most critically endangered Norman variety; the post-WWII evacuation of Guernsey children to mainland Britain (1940–45) is widely seen as the proximate cause of its rapid collapse.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Guernésiais
Sources
- De Garis, Marie (1967) Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernesiais. Phillimore, Chichester.
- Tomlinson, Harry (1981) Le Guernesiais — Étude grammaticale et lexicale du parler normand de l'île de Guernesey. PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh.
- Sallabank, Julia (2013) Attitudes to Endangered Languages: Identities and Policies. Cambridge University Press [Guernsey case study].
- Glottolog: Guernsey French
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (Romance, Oïl, Norman)
| Meaning | Guernésiais | Jèrriais | Norman | Classical French | Picard | Luxembourg French | Senegalese French |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ieau /jo/ | ieau /jo/ | ieau /jo/ | eau /o/ | iau /jo/ | eau /o/ | eau /o/ |
| Fire | fû /fy/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ | fu /fy/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ |
| Sun | solé /sɔˈle/ | solé /sɔˈle/ | solé /sɔle/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ | solèl /sɔlɛl/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ |
| Moon | leune /løːn/ | leune /løːn/ | leune /løn/ | lune /lyn/ | lune /lyn/ | lune /lyn/ | lune /lyn/ |
| Star | ételle /etɛl/ | êtaile /etɛl/ | êtaile /etɛl/ | étoile /etwɛl/ | étole /etɔl/ | étoile /etwal/ | étoile /etwal/ |
| Night | niet /njɛ/ | niet /njɛ/ | niet /njɛ/ | nuit /nɥit/ | nuit /nɥi/ | nuit /nɥi/ | nuit /nɥi/ |
| Rain | pllie /pʎi/ | plyie /pʎi/ | plyie /pʎi/ | pluie /plɥi/ | pleuve /plœv/ | pluie /plɥi/ | pluie /plɥi/ |
| Snow | neis /nɛ/ | né /ne/ | né /ne/ | neige /nɛʒə/ | nèges /nɛʒ/ | neige /nɛʒ/ | neige /nɛʒ/ |
| Wind | vent /vɛ̃/ | vent /vɛ̃/ | vent /vɛ̃/ | vent /vɑ̃/ | vint /vɛ̃/ | vent /vɑ̃/ | vent /vɑ̃/ |
| Earth | terre /tɛr/ | tèrre /tɛr/ | tèrre /tɛr/ | terre /tɛʁ/ | tère /tɛːʁ/ | terre /tɛʁ/ | terre /tɛʁ/ |
| Stone | pièrre /pjɛr/ | pièrre /pjɛr/ | pièrre /pjɛr/ | pierre /pjɛʁ/ | pière /pjɛʁ/ | pierre /pjɛʁ/ | pierre /pjɛʁ/ |
| Sea | maïr /majr/ | mé /me/ | mé /me/ | mer /mɛʁ/ | mèr /mɛʁ/ | mer /mɛʁ/ | mer /mɛʁ/ |
| Mother | mère /mɛːr/ | mère /mɛːr/ | mère /mɛːʁ/ | mère /mɛːr/ | mère /mɛʁ/ | mère /mɛʁ/ | mère /mɛʁ/ |
| Father | pére /peːr/ | péthe /peːð/ | père /pɛːʁ/ | père /pɛːr/ | père /pɛʁ/ | père /pɛʁ/ | père /pɛʁ/ |
| Daughter | fille /fiʎ/ | fil'ye /fiʎ/ | fil'ye /fiʎ/ | fille /fiʎ/ | fille /fij/ | fille /fij/ | fille /fij/ |
| I | jé /ʒe/ | jé /ʒe/ | jé /ʒe/ | je /ʒə/ | ej /əʒ/ | je /ʒə/ | je /ʒə/ |
| You | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | te /tə/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ |
| We | nous /nu/ | nous /nu/ | nous /nu/ | nous /nus/ | nous /nu/ | nous /nu/ | nous /nu/ |
| Name | naom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ |
| Eye | yeu /jø/ | yi /ji/ | yi /ji/ | œil /œːj/ | oeul /œl/ | œil /œj/ | œil /œj/ |
| Ear | oreille /oʁɛj/ | ouothelle /woðɛl/ | orêle /oʁɛl/ | oreille /ɔˈʁɛjə/ | eureille /œʁɛj/ | oreille /ɔʁɛj/ | oreille /ɔʁɛj/ |
| Nose | naïz /naj/ | nez /neː/ | nez /ne/ | nez /ne/ | nez /ne/ | nez /ne/ | nez /ne/ |
| Tooth | dent /dɑ̃/ | dent /dɑ̃/ | dent /dɑ̃/ | dent /dɑ̃/ | dint /dɛ̃/ | dent /dɑ̃/ | dent /dɑ̃/ |
| Tongue | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ | langue /lɑ̃ɡ/ |
| Hand | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ |
| Foot | pid /pi/ | pid /pi/ | pid /pi/ | pied /pje/ | pié /pje/ | pied /pje/ | pied /pje/ |
| Heart | tchoeur /tʃœr/ | tchoeu /tʃœ/ | tcheu /tʃø/ | cœur /kœːr/ | cœur /kœʁ/ | cœur /kœʁ/ | cœur /kœʁ/ |
| Bone | os /o/ | os /o/ | os /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ |
| Blood | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ | sang /sɑ̃/ |
| Love | amour /aˈmuːr/ | amour /aˈmuːr/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amur/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amuʁ/ |
| Tree | arbre /arbr/ | bouais /bwɛ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ | arbre /aːrbr/ | abre /abʁ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ |
| Dog | tchian /tʃjɑ̃/ | tchian /tʃjɑ̃/ | tchian /tʃɑ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ | kien /kjɛ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /ka/ | chat /ʃaː/ | cat /ka/ | chat /ʃa/ | chat /ʃa/ |
| Fish | paîsson /pɛˈsɔ̃/ | paîsson /pɛˈsɔ̃/ | paîsson /pɛˈsɔ̃/ | poisson /pwaˈsɔ̃/ | pichon /piʃɔ̃/ | poisson /pwasɔ̃/ | poisson /pwasɔ̃/ |
| Bird | mouissaon /muiˈsɔ̃/ | ouaîsé /wɛˈze/ | ouaîsé /wɛze/ | oiseau /wɛˈzo/ | oizo /wazo/ | oiseau /wazo/ | oiseau /wazo/ |
| Horse | ch'fa /ʃfa/ | j'va /ʒva/ | j'va /ʒva/ | cheval /ʃəˈval/ | kvau /kvo/ | cheval /ʃəval/ | cheval /ʃəˈval/ |
| House | maisaon /mɛˈzɔ̃/ | maîson /mɛˈzɔ̃/ | maîson /mɛːzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ | mason /masɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ |
| Honey | miel /mjɛl/ | myi /mji/ | mié /mje/ | miel /mjɛl/ | miel /mjɛl/ | miel /mjɛl/ | miel /mjɛl/ |
| Salt | saïl /sajl/ | sé /se/ | sé /se/ | sel /sɛl/ | sé /se/ | sel /sɛl/ | sel /sɛl/ |
| Wine | vìn /vɛ̃/ | vîn /vĩ/ | vin /vɛ̃/ | vin /vɛ̃/ | vin /vɛ̃/ | vin /vɛ̃/ | vin /vɛ̃/ |
| Rice | riz /ʁi/ | riz /ri/ | riz /ri/ | riz /ri/ | riz /ʁi/ | riz /ʁi/ | riz /ʁi/ |
| Eat | mangier /mɑ̃ˈʒje/ | mangi /mɑ̃ˈʒi/ | mangi /mɑ̃ʒi/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ | minger /mɛ̃ʒe/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ |
| Drink | baire /bɛːr/ | baithe /baɪð/ | baithe /bɛð/ | boire /bweːr/ | boère /bwɛʁ/ | boire /bwaʁ/ | boire /bwaʁ/ |
| Sleep | dormi /dɔrˈmi/ | dormi /dɔrˈmi/ | dormi /dɔrˈmi/ | dormir /dɔrˈmir/ | dormir /dɔʁˈmi/ | dormir /dɔʁˈmiʁ/ | dormir /dɔʁˈmiʁ/ |
| One | iun /jœ̃/ | ieune /jøːn/ | ieune /jøn/ | un /œ̃/ | un /œ̃/ | un /œ̃/ | un /œ̃/ |
| Two | daeux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deus /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ |
| Three | treis /tʁɛ/ | trais /trɛ/ | treis /tʁɛ/ | trois /tʁwɛ/ | troé /tʁwɛ/ | trois /tʁwa/ | trois /tʁwa/ |
| Four | quatre /kat/ | quatre /kat/ | quatre /kat/ | quatre /katr/ | quate /kat/ | quatre /katʁ/ | quatre /katʁ/ |
| Hundred | chent /ʃɑ̃/ | chent /ʃɑ̃/ | chent /ʃɑ̃/ | cent /sɑ̃/ | chint /ʃɛ̃/ | cent /sɑ̃/ | cent /sɑ̃/ |
| Hello | banjour /bɑ̃ˈʒuːr/ | bouônjour /bwɔ̃ˈʒuːr/ | bouônjour /bwɔ̃ʒuʁ/ | Dieu vous garde /djø vu ɡard/ | bojour /bɔʒuʁ/ | bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ | bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ |
| Thank you | mercie bian /mɛrˈsi bjɑ̃/ | mèrcie /mɛrˈsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | grâces /ɡraːs/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ |
| Good | bouan /bwɑ̃/ | bouôn /bwɔ̃/ | boun /bun/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | bon /bɔ̃/ |
| Red | rouoge /ʁwɔdʒ/ | rouoge /ʁwɔdʒ/ | rouoge /ʁwɔdʒ/ | rouge /ˈruʒə/ | rouche /ʁuʃ/ | rouge /ʁuʒ/ | rouge /ʁuʒ/ |
| White | bllànc /bʎɑ̃/ | blianc /bljɑ̃/ | blianc /bljɑ̃/ | blanc /blɑ̃/ | blanc /blɑ̃/ | blanc /blɑ̃/ | blanc /blɑ̃/ |
| Blue | bllu /bʎy/ | bliu /bljø/ | bliu /bljø/ | — | bleu /blø/ | bleu /blø/ | bleu /blø/ |
| Cuckoo | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | cocou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuku/ | coucou /kuku/ |
| Tea | thée /te/ | thée /te/ | thée /te/ | thé /te/ | — | thé /te/ | thé /te/ |
| Sugar | chucre /ʃykr/ | chucre /ʃykr/ | chucre /ʃykr/ | — | chuque /ʃyk/ | sucre /sykʁ/ | sucre /sykʁ/ |
| Orange | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ | orinje /ɔʁɛ̃ʒ/ | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ | orange /ɔʁɑ̃ʒ/ |
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