Rural – Jersey Country Life Magazine

EUNE FROUQU’THÉE D’JÈRRIAIS – (A FORKFUL OF JÈRRIAIS)

We continue our series of article in Jèrriais – Jersey’s own traditional native language.

The ‘frouque’ in question is a digging fork, rather than a table fork. An English translation follows.

This contribution comes from Charlie Le Maistre (Charlot L’Maistre)

Bouônjour bouonnes gens ! Ch’est Charlot L’Maistre chi vos présente.

Nou dit p’t-êt qu’lé changement fait du bein. Eh bein, jé n’sis pon seux si ch’est tréjous l’cas,  mais duthant les dreins deux-trais mais, j’ai ieu un tas d’changements dans ma vie. J’sommes à d’meuther duthant un temps où’est qu’ nos vies sont tréjous à changi, sans doute, espécialement auve la COVID -19 tchi pend à l’entou du co comme un suaithe, toutes les régl’yes et avis tchi sont à changi continuellement peuvent être lâssant! Mais l’ changement peut être positif étout et j’voudrais vos dithe entouor un grand changement tchi s’est arrivé.

Don, dreinement, ma bouonnefemme et mé j’vendînmes nouotre  maîson à St Ouën et j’èrmuînmes à l’Est! Vraiment, jé n’ voulînmes pon èrmuer pa’ce qu’ j’aimêmes bein à d’meuther à St Ouën, mais d’pis qu’nos êfants ont tchitté la maîson d’fanmil’ye, i’ sembliait d’être la bouonne chose d’acater eune pus p’tite maîson et coyit un mio d’sous à même temps. Bein, nou n’ pouorrait pon penser p’t-êt qué à r’muer dé St Ouën à St Martîn n’est pon un grand changement, mais pouor tchitch’un tchi fut êl’vé à St Ouën duthant les mille neuf chents septante, quand un viage par la tounelle à St Hélyi ‘tait un grand êvénement, chutte èrmuéthie ‘tais eune grande chose, véthe dgia! Dans chu temps là, pouor un janne Gris Ventre eune touônnée à l’Est ‘tait hardi rare pouor nouotre fanmil’ye. P’t-êt eune fais  dans les vacanches d’Êté, quand j’soulêmes visiter lé Vièr Châté à Gouoray et pâsser lé temps à rouôler avaû la banque au bas du châté jusqu’à qué j’têmes si engourlais qu’jé ‘n’pouvêmes pon rester d’but. Et faut pas oublier la vielle badinn’nie Jèrriaise qué j’voulêmes d’mander à nos pathents – “Av-ous prîns nos pâsseports?”

Mais, mé v’chîn, j’ sis à d’meuther à St Martîn, pouor un p’tit brîn où’est qu’ j’avons pâssé par la grand’ porte à louer La Fèrme dé Faldou pour un an, tandi qu’j allons faithe lé travas à nouotre nouvelle maîson à Bieaumont. Et vraiment, j’sis à l’aimer raide bein. Touos les vaisîns et les bouons gens d’St Martîn ont ‘té hardi aimabl’ye et y’a un tas d’gens tchi s’promènent par la fèrme et tchi sont tréjous heutheux à caqu’ter auve mé, maûgré nos deux tchians dé s’cours tchi aiment à ouasser à authcunechose tchi bouoge, espécialement les êtchutheurs et les corbîns dans les clios à côté. Étout, j’aime bein l’opportunité à dêcouvri les bieaux p’tits c’mîns à Faldou et Gouoray. Et pis j’aime bein qu’i’ m’prend bein mains d’temps pouor aller en travas, ch’est mangnifique. Aupres raique deux mais, i’ sembl’ye qué ch’est acouo comme eune vacanche!

J’sais qu’un tas d’ visiteurs né comprannent pon qué dans eune île, tch’est dêjà p’tite, les gens piessent à aimer eune pâraisse pus qu’ eune autre. Mais pouor mé, ch’est aîsi quand nou réalise qu’i’ y’ avait des difféthentes mannièthes à pâler les mêmes mots dans nouot’ langue native et dans tchiques cas i’ y’a un mot tout difféthent pouor la même chose! J’pense bein qué j’mé pens’sais comme un St Ouënnais, et j’sis fyi d’man héthitâge, mais èrmuer à l’Êst m’a fait comprendre pourtchi qu’les gens d’s aut’s pâraisses sont fièrs également d’lus pâraîsse. Étout, i’ renforche ma crianche qu’Jèrri est eune hardi belle pliaiche à d’meuther, même dans ches temps dus. J’voudrais fini ma lettre en vouos dithant mèrcie mille fais à touos les St Martinnais, tchi m’ont donné et à ma fanmil’ye eune magnifique beinv’nue dûthant les dreins deux mais. Ous avez gangi un nouvieau êgard dé chu vièr St Ouënais. Mèrcie bein des fais et à bétôt pouor achteu.

In translation :

Some say that a change is as good as a rest. Well I’m not sure if that is always the case but I have certainly experienced a fair few changes in the last few months. We are no doubt living in an ever-changing world, especially with the shroud of COVID 19 continuing to hang around our shoulders, the constant change of advice and rules and recommendations can be draining. However, change can also be positive, and I would like to tell you about a few recent changes that have made me think about my preconceptions.

Firstly, my wife and I recently sold our house in St Ouen and moved East. Not that we really wanted to move as we loved life in St Ouen but with the children having all left the family home it seemed a little ridiculous for the 2 of us to continue to live in a large family home.

 Now you may think that moving from St Ouen to St Martin is not much of a big change, but for someone who grew up in the 1970’s in St Ouen, when going through the tunnel in  town was a major event, let me tell you it really is. Back in those days for a young gris ventre a trip out East was something that was a rare occurrence in our house. Maybe a special treat during the Summer holidays when we would visit Lé Vièr Châté and then spend time rolling down the green grassy banks at the bottom of the castle until we were so dizzy we could barely stand up. Not to mention the very Jersey joke of asking Mum and Dad if they had brought our passports with us as we were going east of the tunnel.

But now here I am temporarily living in St Martin, where we have been lucky enough to rent Faldouet Farm for a year whilst we are having some work done on our new property at Bieaumont. And to be honest to my surprise I’m really enjoying it. The residents who often walk past the house on their early morning or evening walks are very friendly and are always happy to stop and chat, despite our two rather noisy rescue dogs who love to bark at anything that moves especially the crows and squirrels in the field opposite. Also I’m enjoying discovering lovely leafy lanes that I have rarely been down before. Not to mention the shortened time it takes me to get to work! After only two months it still feels somewhat like a holiday!

Many visitors often find it hard to understand how, in an island that is already relatively small, people can be passionate about the actual parish they live in, but to me it easy to understand when you realise that even in our own local language there are large differences in not only pronunciation but also completely different words for some things, depending on which side of the Island you are from.

I guess I will always think of myself as a St Ouennais and yes, I am proud of that heritage but moving out East has made me appreciate that it’s easy to see why other Islanders are equally proud of their parish and roots. Also, it simply reinforces my belief that Jersey is a truly beautiful place to live even in these testing times. I would like to end by saying a big thank you for all the St Martinnais folk who have made me and my family so welcome over the last few weeks, your parish has gained a new respect from this old St Ouennais.

Mèrcie bein des fais!

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