HISTORICAL and cultural organisation Société Jersiaise has made two people honorary members in recognition of their “exceptional contribution” to the study, preservation and advancement of Jèrriais and the Island’s linguistic heritage.
Geraint Jennings has been elected a Membre d’Honneur while Professor Mari Jones has become a Corresponding Member of the society.
Its board and members unanimously elected Mr Jennings as Membre d’Honneur, the highest distinction the Société can bestow. An extraordinary general meeting was recently held to celebrate Mr Jennings’ contribution to the preservation and development of our native language.
The Société said: “This honour recognises Mr Jennings’ decades of dedicated service to the revitalisation, documentation and promotion of Jèrriais. Through his scholarship, teaching, translations, original literary work and leadership within the Jèrriais-speaking community, he has created a body of work of enduring importance.”
It added: “Mr Jennings’ expertise, generosity and lifelong commitment have profoundly shaped modern understanding and use of the Island’s language, inspiring learners, researchers and speakers alike. The board considers his achievements to exemplify the very purpose of the distinction of Membre d’Honneur.”
The organisation said that Corresponding Membership recognised distinguished scholars whose work aligns closely with the aims of the Société and whose expertise has contributed significantly to Jersey’s cultural and linguistic life from beyond the Island.
It said: “Dr Jones’ internationally respected research into Norman languages and Jèrriais, together with her extensive publications and long-standing engagement with the Société and the Island, have substantially advanced academic and public understanding of Jersey’s linguistic heritage.
“These two appointments come at a time when the Société Jersiaise is actively progressing work with their partners at Le Don Balleine, Jersey Heritage and other stakeholders on the creation of a digital Jèrriais hub, or corpus.
“This initiative aims to bring together linguistic resources, archival material, contemporary usage and learning tools in a single accessible digital space, supporting both speakers and learners on the Island and internationally, in support of the Jèrriais Language strategy of the Government of Jersey.”
It added: “The contributions of both Mr Jennings and Professor Jones have helped lay essential foundations for this work. Their scholarship, advocacy and commitment to accessibility strongly align with the Société’s ambition to ensure that Jèrriais remains a living language, supported by high-quality digital resources for future generations.
“The Société Jersiaise congratulates both recipients warmly and looks forward to continued collaboration as it advances its mission to preserve, study and share Jersey’s history, culture and language.”
