Brief Introduction to the Cornish Language

Cornish is a Celtic language, a close relation to Breton and Welsh. It was spoken by Cornish people before the death of the last speakers in Penwith around 1800. However, within three generations active efforts were being made to revive the language. In the early 1900s people learnt to write and speak Cornish again and now there are several hundred who can speak the language and several thousands who know the odd phrase. Furthermore, the Cornish language is an important symbol of Cornish difference; 80% of our place names are in Cornish and the language has left its influence on people’s names and on Cornish dialects of English.

Revived Cornish

Those who revived the language in the early 1900s at first tried to pick it up where it left off, using its latest historical spelling and pronunciation. However, in the 1920s this project was abandoned and the leaders of the Revival decided to base Cornish on the religious literature of the 1300s, 1400s and early 1500s. Revived Cornish was therefore not a clear successor of historic Cornish but a version of late medieval Cornish.

 

You can find out about and enrol in a language class suitable to you here.

We also have many songs, for both adults and children, as well as texts and poems here.

You can find out about our Cornish language events here.