Cornwall may also indicate the start of what some scholars now term ‘proto
Indo-European’, from whence the Celtic languages along with the Italic and
other related groups of languages began evolving.
2. What is a Celtic Language?
Around 2000 B.C., the group of languages now called Celtic languages
started to split away from the other members of the Indo-European group of
languages. By 1200 B.C. Celtic civilisation, a heroic culture with its own
laws and religion is first known. It is from this period that the first
king lists and legends are believed to come.
3. How is Cornish Related to other Celtic Languages?
Between 1500 B.C. and the first encounters with the Romans (around 350
B.C.), the Celtic languages are believed to split into two distinct groups,
the ‘p’ and ‘q’ Celtic branches. Cornish, Welsh and Breton (to which
Cornish is most closely related) are the three remaining ‘p’ Celtic
languages. Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx being the ‘q’ Celtic tongues.
4. The Decline of Cornish.
Cornish developed pretty much naturally into a modern European
language until the 17th century, after which it came under pressure by the
encroachment of English. Factors involved in its decline included the
introduction of the English prayer book, the rapid introduction of English
as a language of commerce and most particularly the negative stigma
associated with what was considered by Cornish people themselves as the
language of the poor.
5. The Rebirth of Cornish.
Cornish died out as a native language in the late 19th century, with
the last Cornish speaker believed to have lived in Penwith. By this time
however, Cornish was being revived by Henry Jenner, planting the seeds for
the current state of the language and it is supposed that the last native
speaker was the fishwoman Dolly Pentreath.
6. Standard Cornish.
Standard Cornish was developed from Jenner’s work by a team under the
leadership of Morton Nance, culminating in the first full set of grammars,
dictionaries and periodicals. Standard Cornish (Unified) is again being
developed through UCR (Unified Cornish Revised), and incorporates most
features of Cornish, including allowing for Eastern and Western forms of
pronunciation and colloquial and literary forms of Cornish.
7. Who uses Cornish Today?
Today Cornish typically appeals to all age groups and to those either
who have an empathy with Cornwall, who have Cornish roots or perhaps have
moved to Cornwall from elsewhere. One of the great successes of Cornish
today is ifs wide appeal. After a break in native speakers for nearly one
hundred years, Cornwall now has many children who now have Cornish as a
native language along side English, and many more who are fluent in the
language.
8. Government Recognition for Cornish.
Cornish is the only modern Celtic language that receives no
significant support from government, despite the growing numbers learning
Cornish, and the immense good will towards it from ordinary Cornish people
and from elsewhere.
This contrasts strongly with the favourable stand taken by the Manx
government towards Manx for example, as evidenced by Manx primary school
places being made generally available.
Recently, the UK government scrapped the Cornish GCSE. Lack of Cornish
language facilities and support is no longer just a language issue, but is
rapidly becoming a civil rights and political issue too. Despite the
growing support of councillors in Cornwall, some key individuals in County
Hall continue to make clear their hostility to the language.
e.g. of the Cornish language:
“Pyw yw an Gernowyon?
Pobel Geltek yw an bobel a Gernow . Yn osow hendasek, an wtas
Gorfewenna yn Wtas Dumnonii, neb a dregas yn Kernow, Dewnans ha Gwtas an
Haf.
Y hyltyr bos del An Gernowyon a wrug trega yn Kernow hedro an dallath
gonys tyr adro 3000 K.C.. An dallath gonys tyr yn Kernow a vo dallath an os
‘proto Yndo-Europek’, dres an tavajow Keltek ha tavajow Ytaiek dallath dhe
dhysplegya.”
Part III. Peculiarities of South-Western Dialects.
1. Vocalisation.
|Devonshire |Somersetshire |Wiltshire |
|“a” after “w” |
|is realized as [a:]: |is realized as [æ]: | |
|wasp [wa:sp] |warm [wærm] | |
|watch [wa:t?] |warn [wærn] | |
|want [wa:nt] |wart [wært] | |
|wander [wa:nd ] | | |
|“asp”, “ass”, “ast”, “a” > [æ]: grass [græs], glass [glæs], fast [fæst] |
|“al + a consonant” |
| |“l” is realized as [a:] | |
| |or | |
| |[ :]: | |
| |talk [ta:k] | |
| |walk [wa:k] | |
| |chalk [t?a:k] | |
| |balk [ba:k] | |
|a + l, a + ll |
|in the open syllable | |in the open syllable |
|“a” > [æ]: | |“a” > [æ]: |
|crane [kræn] | |crane [kræn] |
|frame [fræm] | |frame [fræm] |
|lame [læm] | |lame [læm] |
|make [mæk] | |make [mæk] |
|name [næm] | |name [næm] |
|The first sound is vowel |
|acre [jakr] |
|ale [jal] |
|acorn [’jak?rn] |
|hare [hja:r] |
|ache [jek] |
|acorn [jek?rn] |
|behave [b?’hjev] |
|“e” in the closed syllables > “a” |
|Nothern |Western | |
|egg [ag], fetch [fat?], step [stap], | |
|wretch [rat?], stretch [strat?] | |
|“e” in the closed syllables > [e?] |
|Eastern |Southern | |
|egg [e?g], stretch [stre?t?] | |
|“e” in the closed syllables > [e:] |
|South-Western |Western |Middle/Eastern |
|Leg [le:g], bed [be:d], hedge [he:d(] | |
|if “e” follows “w” > [ :] |
| |Western | |
| |well [w :l] | |
| |twelve [tw :lv] | |
| |wench [w :nt?] | |
|“i” in the closed syllable |
|North-Western |Western | |
|> [e]: |> [ ]: | |
|big [beg] |bill [b l] | |
|bid [bed] |little [’l tl] | |
|flitch [fletch] |children [’t? ldr n] | |
|sit [set] |cliff [kl f] | |
|spit [spet] |hill [h l] | |
| |drift [dr ft] | |
| |shrimp [?r mp] | |
| |fit [f t] | |
| |ship [? p] | |
| |pig [p g] | |
| |fish [f ?] | |
|“ight” > [e] |
|North-Western |Western | |
|flight, right | |
|if a nasal consonant follows “i” |
|> [e]: | |> [e]: |
|sing [se?] | |sing [se?] |
|cling [kle?] | |cling [kle?] |
|“i” before “nd” |
|North-Western | | |
Ñòðàíèöû: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
