Phonology Jèrriais

1 phonology

1.1 palatalisation
1.2 dental fricative
1.3 length

phonology

the phonological influence of norse debated, although aspirated h may due norse influence.

palatalisation

the palatalisation of latin /k/ , /g/ before /a/ occurred in development of french did not occur in northern dialects of norman, including jèrriais:

compare palatalization in jèrriais pièche french place in bilingual placename sign

however palatalisation of /k/ before front vowel produced different results in norman dialect developed jèrriais in french. (many developments similar in italian, cf. cento-hundred , faccia-face).

la rue au tchian (road of dog): latin canem (dog) developed tchian, example of palatalisation of /k/

at later date surviving /k/ , /g/ underwent secondary process of palatalisation:

note palatalised partchiz (park) in bilingual sign

this palatalisation continues operate (except in initial position) can seen recent borrowings english:

dental fricative

a feature of jèrriais noticeable , distinguishes neighbouring languages voiced dental fricative /ð/, written th, typically occurs in intervocalic position:

la néthe rue road name (meaning black road) shows th digraph representing voiced dental fricative

or in final position:

the fricative devoices assimilate neighbouring unvoiced consonant in words such paqu thie (packing) or malaûc theux (disgusting).

the fricative developed /r/ + front vowel, evidently after 16th century feature unknown in language of sark (colonised jersey families). although voiced dental fricative standard in literary language, not found in eastern dialects.

this gravestone of george francis le feuvre ( george d la forge ), @ st. ouen parish church, describes him auteur en langue jèrriaîthe (jèrriais author). particular st. ouennais form of jèrriaise final dental fricative represented.

some older speakers in st. ouen use dental fricative in positions other dialects show /z/. may represented in orthography of particular writers.

the dental fricative in dialect of such speakers may heard in liaison:

length

length phonemic in jèrriais. long vowels indicated in writing circumflex accent. noun ending in vowel lengthens final vowel indicate plural (shown in writing adding s).

gemination occurs regularly in verb tenses, indicated consonant-apostrophe-consonant trigraph, example: ou pâl la (she speak); jé c mench chons (we begin); donn nait (he give). gerunds regularly contain geminate consonants, example: faîs sie (doing, making); chant tie (singing); tith thie (shooting); brîng gie (sweeping); gângn nie (winning).