The Cornish Language

Cornish is a branch of the ancient Brythonic Celtic family of languages, belonging to the same linguistic group as Welsh, Breton and extinct Cumric. The name Cornwall itself derives from the name of an ancient Celtic tribe, the Cornouii, who once inhabited the area, and the Anglo-Saxon word for foriegner 'Wealas', from which Wales is also derived.

Cornish diverged from Welsh towards the end of the seventh century A.D. Use of the language gradually declined as communication routes with the rest of the country progressed until in Elizabethan times it was confined to the southern limits of the county, west of Truro.

The Cornish language has been extinct for many years. Its last reputed speaker was Dorothy Pentreath of Mousehole, who died in 1777, her gravestone with its Cornish inscription can be seen at St. Paul's church at Mousehole. A further candidate for the last native speaker of the language was John Davey of Zennor, who died as late as 1891. Fishermen were known to count fish in Cornish up until the 1940's.

The language has been revived by support provided by a small group of enthusiasts, who keep alive a knowledge of Cornish.

The Cornish flag of St. Piran, Patron Saint of tinners

There are vivid traces of the language in place names such as Mullion (mullyon - clover) and Marazion (Marghas Deth -Yow Thursday market) that add to Cornwall's individual character. It survives also in characteristic Cornish surnames beginning with Tre, Pen and Pol, (tre - farmstead, pen - head and pol - pool)

The Gorseth Kernow

The Gorseth Kernow exists to keep alive the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall and to promote the use of the Cornish language, literature, arts, music and history.

It achieves this by awarding Bardships to individuals for outstanding work in Cornish culture at an annual ceremony known as the meeting of the bards. The meeting this year is to take place at Redruth.

Some Cornish words

als - cliff

arvor - coast

avon - river

bara - bread

broder - brother

bronn, bre - hill

carreg - rocks

chy - house

davas - sheep

dinas - castle

dowr - water

edhen - bird

eglos - church

glann - river bank

gorowyji - lighthouse

gras - blue

gwinn, gwidden - white

hwoer - sister

kan - song

Kernow - Cornwall

kommel - cloud

koth - old

llan - enclosure

marner - sailor

melyn - mill

men - stone

mor - sea

morryb - seaside

norvys - earth

noweth - new

pen - head, headland

parc, plen - field

pol - pond or pool

ruth -red

skath - boat

tre - town, farmstead

treth - beach