Guernsey French is celebrated at St Martin’s community hall

It was the second annual celebration of the island’s native language.

The hall was full of stalls from businesses, groups and young people, all promoting or discussing Guernsey’s native language.

Guernsey Language Commission chairman Richard Collas said he was hugely grateful for all the support people had given the commission and Guernesiais.

The commission was given States funding in 2020 in a bid to promote and support the language.

‘I feel we have made good progress in the time we have been going,’ said Mr Collas in his speech on Saturday.

‘Some people have said this is a dead language, but it is a living language and there is a lot to do.’

He said the language was one thing that made Guernsey unique, and it was important to keep the island’s heritage alive.

Commissioner Terry Snell said he was pleased with the turnout.

‘We did an event a year ago, as a way to get the message across to as many people as possible, as well as bring people together,' he said.

There were many native speakers at the event.

Among them were two sisters, who grew up at Rocquaine in the 1950s, who asked not to be named.

‘We were brought up with Guernsey French,’ said one.

‘When my sister went to school she did not know any English at all.

‘It’s lovely to have this celebration.’

Guernesiais

The language is a form of Norman French, which has been spoken in the islands from when they were ruled by the Dukes of Normandy.

After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Norman French became the official language used at court and by the nobles. It was 300 years before English became the official language of England, and by this time a lot of Norman French words had been added to English. In Guernsey however the local people continued speaking Norman. It gradually changed into a distinct local language.

Guernsey’s Royal Court and officials employed standard French from the Medieval period to the early 20th century and this was also widely spoken by the merchants. When schools were set up, these taught standard French.

English was spoken by the many soldiers stationed here and by British people who moved here.

In 1926 English was made an official language of the States, but people of the countryside continued speaking Guernesiais well into the mid-20th century.

The most recent figures available on the number of Guernesiais speakers was from 2001, when there were 1,327, fluent speakers. But most of these were over 64 at that stage.

For more information on the commission and its work visit https://language.gg/.