46 GUERNSEY DIALECT AXD PLANT NAMES. 



P'tits Cats. Sallow iJ^aUx cincren). Lit. Little Cats. The same idea as 



Cnttons. 

 Quene. Oak [Quercus robur). Somids like the Enj^lish word cane. 



Querpentlere. Yarrow (Achillea millefoUi(ni) . This is the feminine form of 

 the patois Avovd querpentier, a carpenter. A stronp^ decoction of this plant, 

 taken very hot in p:oinf2^ to bed, is said to ward off the effects of a chill : 

 but plenty of sui^ar or hone}" should be added. Eaten dry, like watercress, 

 it is reputed to be a specific remedy for piles. The floAvers, placed on the 

 head under the hat, are a cure for headache. 



Quinquaeee. Tormentil [PotentiUa formentilla). Also called Herbe de 

 parahjsie. 



RegrliSSe or ReeliSSe. Rest Harrow {Ono)ns arreihns). Lit. Liquorice. Old 

 people still remember as children eating' the roots of this plant, which are 

 said to taste very much like Liquorice root. — The same thing is done in 

 the north of England, where Rest Harrow is called Wild Liquonce. It is 

 also known by the next name. 



Rete-beuf. Rest Harrow {Ononis arvensis). Another form of Arretr-heu. Tn 

 the word Z'^^(/ (French, haeuf, ox) the final letter is sounded in the north of 

 Guernsey, but not in the south. 



Ronehe. Bramble [Ruhns fruticosus) . Certain varieties of Bramble throw out 

 in the autumn strong shoots which root at the tips and give rise to new 

 plants. An ancient cure for boils, prevalent in Guernsey down to recent 

 times, was to pass under one of these rooting stems nine times on nine 

 successive mornings, — by which time the boils would have disappeared. 



ROS. Reed {Arundo phragmites). Pronounced like the English word roe. 



Rose de Cat. Dog Rose {Rosa canina). Lit. Cat Rose. This name has been 

 given to me at St. Martin's for the common wild Rose : and I find that at 

 the Vale the little Burnet Rose {Rosa spinosissima) is called Rose de Catte. 

 Perhax)s these names are identical. 



Rose de Tehen. Corn Poppy {Paparer rhneas). Corn Cockle {Lychnis 

 (jithago). Lit. Dog Rose, Applied to the Poppy in the south and west, 

 but in the north where that plant is called Coque, the present name is 

 applied to the Corn Cockle. 



Rouage Gambe. TlQTh'Kobext {Geranium roherHamm). Amphibious Persi- 

 caria {Polygomun amphihium). Lit. Red leg, from the bright red stems 

 of these plants. The first-named bears this name in the high parishes : 

 but at the Vale (where unfortunately I have not been able to ascertain the 

 patois name of Herb Robert) both the Amphibious and the Spotted Persi- 

 caria are termed Ron age Gambe. Other names for the last species are 

 Langue d^ouaie and Kerbe traitresse. 



Sale de trie. Toad Rush {Juncus biifonius). Lit. Sow bristle. This name 

 is varied in some parts of the island to Saie de cochon. 



Sain Tpefle. Small Yellow Clover {Trifolium minus). Besides this name 

 Mr. Tourtel gives me Sainsaln and Sainfoin as applied to this plant. 



SaPPazln. Buckwheat {Polygonum fagopyrum). 



Saue. Willow {SaJlx, various sp.) Pronounced like the English to son\ 



SaunieP. Tamarisk {Tamarix anglica). Also called Chiprc. 



Seue. Common Elder {Samhacas nigra). 



Sniehon. Groundsel {Svieclo vulgaris). Patois form of the French seneqon. 



Snile. White Goosefoot {Chenopodium album). This name is very generally 

 applied to this plant, but a farmer at St. IMartin's assured me that Snile is 

 a sort of generic term to denote a variety of creeping noxious weeds. 

 Curiously enough the White Goosefoot is distinguished at Torteval as Nere 



