44 GUERNSEY DIA].E( 1 AND TEAXT NAMES. 



Orane. Wliite llorehouml [Marnihiion vxlf/ayr). Greatly pri/od as a tonic, 

 and a remedy for cou^-lis and colds. I find notliinj'- approaching Orane 

 among- the various Norman names of this plant, and it looks suspiciously 

 like a corruption of llorchound. 



Orme. Common Elm {U/iiin.s cauijjcsti-u). Differs from modern French in 

 being feminine, like the Latin ulmm, instead of masculine. 



Ortie. Nettle {Urticd f/ioica). In some x^arts of the island a distinction is 

 made between Grande Ortie [Urtica dioica) and Fetiie Ortie [U. nrenn). I am 

 indebted to Mr. Tourtel for the following couplet about nettles : / n^puiue 

 p(h chi( inais^ niais i j)iq/fc' les duies, — which means, They do not sting tliis 

 month, but they sting the fingers. i\Ir. Hocart supplies a local formula 

 for the cure of nettle stings. Take a few dock leaves and rub them well 

 on the affected part, rex)eating these words : — 



Deque, deque, gueri me 

 La piqueure qu'ortie m'a fait. 

 That is, Deck, deck, heal fer me, the sting the nettle has given mc. 



Ortie puante. Hedge Viomidwort {>Slac/i//.s .s//fratica). Lit. Stinking Nettle. 

 So called from its very disagreeable odour when bruised. 



Orvale. Water Figwort {'Scrojjh/daria aqnatlca). The medicinal virtue of this 

 plant is particularised in an old rhyme: La_fieiUe d'orvdlo tcheri et hale, — 

 the Figwort leaf heals and draws (i.e., the inflammation from a boil or 

 gathering) . 



Osier. O^AeT {Salix viminalis) . 



Pain de Paenpaen. Great Bedstraw {GaVuun moUiigo). Lit. Bread of the 

 blue beetle. There is a certain beetle [Timarcha Iceriti), very pretty and 

 quite harmless, which feeds uxooii this jDlant, and is remarkable bj'its habit 

 of secreting when handled a reddish oil that looks enough like blood. 

 This insect is known to country children by the name of l^aoipaen , and a 

 child mil hold one in its hand, and repeat these words : Facnpaen, mourte 

 m's ten sang, ctfte dounerai un verre de vin bum : Beetle, show me your blood, 

 and I'll give you a glass of white ^vine. — As soon as the " blood " makes 

 its appearance the insect is set free, without injury. Another name for 

 the Great Bedstraw is (Jontreprinae. 



Pain d'orve. '^\\ee-^''^-\i\t{Jasionei)iontan(i). Lit. Slow- worm's bread. Also 

 known as Eillet d'coti. 



Pain d'SOUari. English Stonecrop {IScdiun anglicuni). Lit. Mouse's bread. 



Painfaie. Water Hemlock {^(Enanthf eroca'a). Metivier spells this name 

 Palmfeis and derives it from a Bas-Breton root Bigmtjiilg Jive fingers. 



Paipier. Pear-tree {Fgrus). Pears are c-^d\.ed:paires. 



Palitole. Wall Pellitory {Farietaria diffnsa). Different forms of this name 

 occur here— or perhaps it would be more correct to sa}' that different 

 people pronounce the same w^ord differently. Sometimes it sounds like 

 Palitone, or again like FarltoJe. A iisa)ie made from this x^lant is used in 

 cases of diabetes. 



Paquerolle. Primrose {Frhnida vulgaris). A pretty name, signifying "the 

 little rose of Easter." Alluding to the mildness of the mnter in these 

 islands, a connnon proverb affirms : / )i''y a poui Xoae sans sa paquerolle on 

 2)' tit ague: There's never a Christmas without its primrose or little lamb. 

 A soothing ointment for burns and scalds is made by boiling fresh lard 

 and straining it through primrose floAvers. 



Pas d'ane. Sweet-scented Coltsfoot [Fetasites fragra)is). Lit. Donkey's 

 footprint. Wild, or Winter Heliotrope is the common English name 

 given in Guernsey to this plant, from the scent of the flowers. 



Patate. Potato {Solajiuju iuherosuni). This name, and our own English one, 

 are forms of the Malayan name Batatas, a species of Convolvulus, the -roots 

 of which were formerly eaten under the name of Sweet Potato. The 

 French name Fomme de terre is never used in the Guernsey patois. 



