Saviour of Guernsey’s language dies aged 100
Wednesday 11th August 2010, 9:00AM BST.
THE LEADING figure in the preservation of the island’s traditional language and culture died yesterday.
Marie de Garis, who celebrated her 100th birthday in June, penned several works on the subject, including a Guernsey French dictionary, widely recognised as the definitive work on the subject.
Bill Gallienne, chairman of Le Coumite d’la Culture Guernesiaise – an umbrella group that seeks to promote the Guernsey French language and the island’s culture – said Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernesiais was the most important work on the subject in the island’s history.
‘I can’t imagine how Marie did it and we owe her a great debt,’ he said. ‘She started it straight after the war, when she was 36, when there were no computers and she did it all with card indexes. She spoke to many people in the course of her research who were in their 80s and 90s then so it represents the language over the past 200 years at least. She was made an MBE [in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 1999] and she thoroughly deserved it.’
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I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Marie de Garis, she shone like a beacon brightening all our lives, Guernsey Patois would have disappeared many years ago had it not been for Marie. May she rest peacefully, after 100 years her work will live on through her books and of course her Guernsey French dictionary.
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I had the greatest respect for Marie de Garis and for her work.
R.I.P. Marie de Garis
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A great lady – we owe her so much. RIP.
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what a great islander. i recall years ago my wife calling her to clarify how to spell our new housename. she was wonderful to listen to at interview with her understated commentary and she never seemed to judge or criticise. there should be space for our heritage within our modern community and Marie de Garis, for most of her life, continuously and quietly chipped out that space for all who would value it.
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Marie de Garis and the body of work she left behind on our native Guernsey language will both be remembered and cherished forever in the annals of time.
May you rest in peace and rise in glory!
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