Jèrriais has been the language of the Jersey people over a period spanning more than a thousand years. Although perhaps still relatively unknown outside the Channel Islands, Jèrriais, together with its offshoot in Sark and its nearest other relative in Guernsey are, like the Celtic languages, part of the living linguistic heritage of the British Isles. It is therefore a Romance language and one of the many varieties of the langue d'oïl which have survived to the present day alongside standardized French. But although modern Jèrriais echoes many of the features of the earlier Norman Language, it has of course like all languages evolved over the centuries and today presents us a distinctive form of speech which can be said to belong to Jersey alone. Ancient Norman French continued in use in Jersey until at least the 1800's. Although the official written language was French, Jèrriais was spoken. La Société Jersiaise was formed in 1873 - their resolution was to study the history of the language and the island - and in 1924 they published the Glossaire du Patois Jersiais.