Languages of Jersey
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2016) |
| Languages of Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Official | English (Majority), Jersey Legal French |
| Vernacular | Channel Island English |
| Minority | Jèrriais, (Norman language) |
| Immigrant | Portuguese |
| Signed | British Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
The Bailiwick of Jersey, a
Statistics
| Language | Main language | Secondary language | Total speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 82,349 | 3,443 | 85,792 |
| Portuguese | 4,002 | 3,300 | 7,305 |
| French | 338 | 14,776 | 15,114 |
| Jèrriais (Jersey French) | 113 | 2,761 | 2,874 |
| Other | 384 | 4,496 | 4,880 |
English
As a crown dependency of the
The English language has been allowed in parliamentary debates in the
Most signs are written in English, sometimes with French or Jèrriais subtitling. There are around 107,000 people in Jersey, and 20% are of British (traditionally English-speaking) descent. Most of the Norman-descended population now speaks English as well. All demographics combined, English is spoken by 94.6% of the population.
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Sign explaining street names of Saint Helier in English, French and Jèrriais -
Public entrance to States Chamber in St. Helier, Jersey, showing bilingual signage in French and English
French
Jersey Legal French is the official variety of French used in administration. The States of Jersey is part of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. The current use of French in the parliament is generally restricted to formalities (prayers, ceremonies, formulae).
Due to proximity, there has been a French-speaking community in Jersey for centuries, though now it has shrunk considerably, although the language is still official. The national anthem, "Ma Normandie", is in the French language. At various points in history the indigenous French-speaking population of Jersey was supplemented by political refugees from France, including for example Victor Hugo.
The last French-language newspaper in Jersey, Les Chroniques de Jersey, closed at the end of 1959.
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First newspaper published in Jersey, 1784 -
1881 boundary stone in French -
2000 boundary stone in French -
Bilingual sign in Jèrriais and French -
Constable's Office
Jèrriais
Sercquiais, a descendant of Jèrriais spoken by settlers from Jersey in Sark, is also near the brink of extinction, with fewer than 20 native speakers.
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Bilingual signage, with English displayed more prominently than Jèrriais -
Bilingual school sign -
Bilingual supermarket sign -
A Bilingual welcome sign on which English and Jèrriais are given equal prominence
Portuguese
Immigrants of Portuguese (mostly Madeiran) ethnicity make up 9.4% of Jersey.[3] The Portuguese language was spoken by 8.4% of the total population as a first or second language in 2011,[4] and is commonly used in signage, notices, and the like.
British Sign
The
See also
References
- ^ "Jersey Census 2001: Chapter 2: Population Characteristics" (PDF). States of Jersey. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ 2001 census
- ^ "Jersey 2021 census" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
- ^ "Jersey 2001 census" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
- ^ Jersey, States of. "Government of Jersey". gov.je. Archived from the original on 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "BSL Courses | Jersey Deaf Society". www.jerseydeafsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.).
