36 GUERNSEY DIALECT AND PLAXT NAMES. 



And there is yet another matter which I wish to state, so 

 as to avoid doubts and disputations : and that is, that I have 

 invariably insisted on seeino- for myself fresh specimens of 

 each plant named, so that I (;an guarantee tliat tlie pdtols 

 name recorded was given me for the ])articular species noted. 

 This fact should be borne in mind, because some of the names 

 are applied in Guernsey to one kind of plant, and in Normandy 

 to another. 



A word or two as to the spelling of the names. As a 

 general rule I have followed the conventional mode employed 

 by Metivier and other local writers. Thus, the vowel-sound 

 represented by a is pronounced like the English word cuoe, and 

 has no equivalent in modern French. The vowel-sound 

 written di is a very curious one, and cannot quite accurately 

 be reproduced either in English or French. It is the long / 

 spoken shortly and quickly, something like the first syllable of 

 the English word idea. The sound written aaa approaches 

 that of the French words a eux when uttered so rapidly that 

 the whole makes one short vowel. Another sound w^hich is 

 unwritable is an — as in the words (/rand (large), hian (white), 

 efant (child), quand (when). It resembles the first syllable 

 of anchor^ but drawled out with a strong nasal intonation. 

 The sound in in words like vin (wine), fin (end), matin 

 (morning), is about as different from the same words in 

 classical French, as the English w^ord van is from vain, or 

 fan irom fain ; but it is impossible to express this difference in 

 ordinary writing. The letters tch represent the English ch as 

 in church. A few other peculiarities I shall endeavour to 

 make clear in giving the names — which are arranged in 

 alphabetical order for convenience of reference. 



There are two excellent books which are well worth the 

 study of those persons who are interested in this subject. 

 The first is entitled " Philologie de la Flore scientifique et 

 populaire de Normandie et d'Angleterre," b}^ Mons. Edouard 

 Le Hericher ; the second is the " Flore populaire de la 

 Normandie," by Prof. Charles Joret (1887). The latter is 

 an admirably-arranged compendium of information on the 

 local plant names at present used in various .parts of 

 Normandy. 



In comparing our present list with the one so carefully 

 compiled by Mons. Joret, one cannot fail to notice that a 

 large number of Guernsey names are apparently unknown in 

 that part of the Continent which lies nearest to our shores. 

 So the question suggests itself : where did these patois names 

 come from ? It is an interesting question, which cannot be 



