Auregnais

Auregnais was the traditional dialect of the Norman language spoken on the island of Alderney (French: Aurigny), one of the Channel Islands. It is now extinct.

History and Status

Auregnais was a variety of Norman, closely related to the dialects of mainland Normandy and the other Channel Islands, especially Guernésiais (Guernsey) and Jèrriais (Jersey). However, due to Alderney's smaller population and relative isolation, Auregnais developed distinct features.

The dialect was in decline for many years, being gradually replaced by English, the language of administration and education. The use of Auregnais declined rapidly throughout the 20th century.

Characteristics

Information on the specific linguistic characteristics of Auregnais is limited due to the lack of extensive documentation. Available resources suggest that it shared many features with other Norman dialects, including:

• Retention of certain Norse and Old English vocabulary.
• Distinct pronunciation of certain vowels and consonants compared to standard French.
• Grammatical features specific to Norman.

It is known that Auregnais differed somewhat from Guernésiais and Jèrriais, evidenced by variations in vocabulary and pronunciation as reported by historical sources and limited recorded speech.

Legacy

Very little of Auregnais remains today. Some place names on Alderney reflect the dialect, and a small number of words may still be remembered by a few islanders. Efforts have been made to document and preserve what little remains of Auregnais, including the collection of oral histories and the study of historical documents. However, it is generally considered to be a dead language.