Book contents
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume IV
- General Preface
- Abbreviations
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I Language Variation and Change
- Part II English in England
- Part III English in Wales
- Part IV English in Scotland
- Part V English in Ireland
- Part VI English in Europe
- 22 English in the Channel Islands
- 23 English in Gibraltar
- 24 English in Malta
- 25 English in Cyprus
- Index
- References
22 - English in the Channel Islands
from Part VI - English in Europe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 March 2026
Edited by
Book contents
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume IV
- General Preface
- Abbreviations
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I Language Variation and Change
- Part II English in England
- Part III English in Wales
- Part IV English in Scotland
- Part V English in Ireland
- Part VI English in Europe
- 22 English in the Channel Islands
- 23 English in Gibraltar
- 24 English in Malta
- 25 English in Cyprus
- Index
- References
Summary
The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark) are situated off the coast of Normandy (France), west of the Cotentin peninsula. A brief look at a map shows that, from a geographical point of view, they are much closer to France than to England. As the original language in these islands is a form of Norman French, they have traditionally been regarded in dialectology as a French-speaking area. However, the exclusive interest of traditional dialectology in Channel Islands French is not an adequate reflection of the current linguistic situation. Today, English is clearly the dominant language in the Channel Islands. The number of speakers of Norman French is rather small and steadily decreasing. Over the past 200 years, English has gained more and more influence and has gradually replaced the local Norman French dialects. Indeed, there are clear indications that they will become extinct in the not-too-distant future.
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- The New Cambridge History of the English LanguageBritain, Ireland and Europe, pp. 637 - 657Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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