Guernsey French, also called Guernsey patois is, theoretically, the mother tongue of our island home, Guernsey. However it is dying out rapidly.
There are initiatives underway to teach the language in Guernsey schools and in night classes for adults. So how many of these Guernsey French words do you know (or can guess)? Improve and test your Patois wordpower by matching each of the words below to one of the multiple possible definitions.
| Vocabulary Ratings | ||
| 14-15 correct | ………… | excellent |
| 12-13 correct | ………… | good |
| 9-11 correct | ………… | fair |
| less than 9 correct | ………… | you must be a grockle |
(1) L'Oreille A: Ear. B: The Sun. C: A Light.A: Ear
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(2) Lé Corset A: Sweater. B: A type of Ship. C: A Pirate.A: A Sweater
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(3) Bllu A: to Fry. B: Water. C: BlueC: Blue.
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(4) Du Burre A: Butter. B: Donkey. C: SoilA: Butter.
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(5) École A: Bicycle. B: A Crayon. C: SchoolC: School.
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(6) Du Cafi A: Caraf (of wine). B: A Cape. C: CoffeeC: Coffee.
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(7) Païssaon A: Passion. B: Easter. C: FishC: Fish.
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(8) Caoud A: Cold. B: Hood. C: WarmC: Warm.
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(9) Crabbe A: Apple Tree. B: Crab. C: BeachB: Crab.
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(10) Ville A: Villain/crook. B: Town C: AwfulB: Town.
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(11) Livre A: Free. B: Book. C: to LiveB: Book.
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(12) Livre A: Free. B: Book. C: to LiveB: Book.
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(13) Haeche A: Hedge. B: Smooth. C: CreamA: Hedge.
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(14) Huit A: Oyster. B: Eight. C: HouseB: Eight.
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(15) Parlaeux A: Floor. B: Lounge/Parlour. C: to talkB:Lounge/Parlour.
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RELATED ARTICLES
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Brush up on your Patois – Guernsey French Phrases |
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Guernsey Patois – A Language Apart |
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The Origins of Guernsey French and Other Channel Island Languages |
