Auregnais
Encyclopedia
Auregnais, Aoeur'gnaeux or Aurignais is the Norman
dialect of the Channel Island
of Alderney
(French
: Aurigny, Auregnais: Aoeur'gny/Auregny). It is estimated that there are now possibly only 20 people still fluent in the language.
Only a few examples of Auregnais survive in written form. It is closely related to the Guernésiais (Guernsey
), Jèrriais
(Jersey
), Sercquiais
(Sark
) dialects of the neighbouring islands, as well as Continental Norman
on the European mainland.
employed by the British government in the construction of the abortive harbour project and other fortifications (during the reign of Queen Victoria), as well as the stationing of a sizable British garrison among the small population, served to relegate Auregnais to a lesser status for communication. It is thought that the evacuation of nearly all indigenous Auregnais to the British mainland during World War II
(the island was occupied by the Nazis, and heavily fortified) was another significant blow to the spoken language. The language has suffered further losses in recent years due to an influx of people from England
who have moved to the Bailiwick both for tax purposes and to fill the local skills gap.
Another reason for the deterioration in use of the language was official neglect, especially in the education sector where it was not taught at all. This led to a situation in which, as was noted by the Guernsey newspaper Le Bailliage in 1880, children had ceased to speak the language among themselves - partly due to teachers discouraging its use in favour of standard French
. However, along with the decline in Auregnais went the decline in the use of French. The latter ceased to be an official language
in 1966 in Alderney. The official French used in the Channel Islands (see Jersey Legal French
) differs slightly from Metropolitan French and greatly from the vernacular Norman.
(Or'tac), Burhou
(with the -hou
suffix) and the first element of the name "Braye Harbour
".
One or two words linger on in the local English, e.g. vraic (seaweed fertiliser
- a word common throughout the Channel Islands), and the pronunciation of certain local surnames, e.g. Dupont and Simon as dipõ and [symõ] rather than the standard Parisian pronunciation.
for a number of years. Swinburne
based his poem Les Casquets on the Houguez family who actually lived on the islands for 18 years. The Houguez family came from Alderney, and the evidence points to them being Auregnais speakers - in fact the daughter married a man from Alderney. During this time, they were isolated and would have had few visitors, but would have spoken Auregnais most of the time.
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
dialect of the Channel Island
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
of Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Aurigny, Auregnais: Aoeur'gny/Auregny). It is estimated that there are now possibly only 20 people still fluent in the language.
Only a few examples of Auregnais survive in written form. It is closely related to the Guernésiais (Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
), Jèrriais
Jèrriais
Jèrriais is the form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, off the coast of France. It has been in decline over the past century as English has increasingly become the language of education, commerce and administration...
(Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
), Sercquiais
Sercquiais
' also known as Sarkese or Sark-French is the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Sark. In the island it is sometimes known, slightly disparagingly, as the "patois", a French term meaning "regional language"....
(Sark
Sark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
) dialects of the neighbouring islands, as well as Continental Norman
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
on the European mainland.
Today
One reason for the near extinction of the language has been the increased movement of the population. In particular, the influx of labourers from the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
employed by the British government in the construction of the abortive harbour project and other fortifications (during the reign of Queen Victoria), as well as the stationing of a sizable British garrison among the small population, served to relegate Auregnais to a lesser status for communication. It is thought that the evacuation of nearly all indigenous Auregnais to the British mainland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(the island was occupied by the Nazis, and heavily fortified) was another significant blow to the spoken language. The language has suffered further losses in recent years due to an influx of people from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who have moved to the Bailiwick both for tax purposes and to fill the local skills gap.
Another reason for the deterioration in use of the language was official neglect, especially in the education sector where it was not taught at all. This led to a situation in which, as was noted by the Guernsey newspaper Le Bailliage in 1880, children had ceased to speak the language among themselves - partly due to teachers discouraging its use in favour of standard French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. However, along with the decline in Auregnais went the decline in the use of French. The latter ceased to be an official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
in 1966 in Alderney. The official French used in the Channel Islands (see Jersey Legal French
Jersey Legal French
Jersey Legal French, also known as Jersey French, is the official dialect of French used administratively in Jersey. Since the anglicisation of the island, it survives as a written language for some laws, contracts, and other documents. Jersey's parliament, the States of Jersey, is part of the...
) differs slightly from Metropolitan French and greatly from the vernacular Norman.
Surnames and Place Names
Although nearly extinct (it is estimated that there are less than 20 people who are fluent), traces of the language still exist in many, if not most, local placenames. Many of these have been gallicised, but some notable examples include OrtacOrtac
Ortac is a small uninhabited islet about 5 km West of the coast of Alderney near to the islet of Burhou. It measures approx. 50 by 70 meters....
(Or'tac), Burhou
Burhou
Burhou is a small island approximately 1.4 miles northwest of Alderney that is part of the Channel Islands. It has no permanent residents, and is a bird sanctuary, so landing there is banned from March 15 to July 27...
(with the -hou
-hou
-hou is a suffix found commonly in Channel Islands and Norman names. It is the Norman language version of the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small island, and often found anglicised elsewhere as "holm". It can still be found in modern Scandinavian languages, e.g...
suffix) and the first element of the name "Braye Harbour
Braye Harbour
Braye Harbour is the main harbour on the north side of the Island of Alderney, in the Channel Islands, a dependency of the British Crown. A break-water built by the Admiralty to protect the Navy in the 19th century shelters Braye Harbour. It is an artificial harbour created by building a pier or...
".
One or two words linger on in the local English, e.g. vraic (seaweed fertiliser
Seaweed fertiliser
Seaweed fertiliser, also spelt seaweed fertilizer, several of the 12,000+ varieties in the ocean have been shown to be valuable additions to the organic garden and can be abundantly available free for those living near the coast...
- a word common throughout the Channel Islands), and the pronunciation of certain local surnames, e.g. Dupont and Simon as dipõ and [symõ] rather than the standard Parisian pronunciation.
Les Casquets
Unusually, for such a small dialect, Auregnais used to have a enclave of speakers out on Les CasquetsCasquets
Les Casquets or Casquets is a group of rocks 13 km northwest of Alderney and are part of an underwater sandstone ridge. Other parts which emerge above the water are the islets of Burhou and Ortac. Little vegetation grows on them...
for a number of years. Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
based his poem Les Casquets on the Houguez family who actually lived on the islands for 18 years. The Houguez family came from Alderney, and the evidence points to them being Auregnais speakers - in fact the daughter married a man from Alderney. During this time, they were isolated and would have had few visitors, but would have spoken Auregnais most of the time.