Cornish for Devonians |
One of the options for a Devonian wanting to better understand his or her background
is to consider Devon's Celtic language. By doing so it is possible to better understand local placenames, culture and customs. You may also better understand yourself! As indicated in our homepage, there are a range of options open for those wanting to learn - with some links. Firstly, it is possible to learn something of the language of Devon as it was spoken in the sixth to tenth centuries (Old Devonian). A second alternative is to study local dialect and placenames (although not all are Celtic) and understand where we are now. Here is a good site for Devon Dialect, and here is a link for placenames. A third option is to look at the Cornish language, which despite its name probably also best represents the Celtic language as spoken in Devon in its 'latter days' (14th to 16th century). This option is the subject of this web-page. There are a number of websites which promote and introduce people to the Cornish language. However a number of these are vehicles for rather extreme Cornish Nationalist views and may not be appropriate for those whose ancestry and interest lies east of the Tamar. Nevertheless there are others which essentially focus only on the language, and we will provide a link to a number of such sites below. As an introduction it is useful to recognise that in many respects Cornish is a reconstructed language. Probably because of this there are varying opinions on what the correct form is - mostly to do with spelling and pronunciation. In simple terms there are four different versions of Cornish - Unified, Kemmyn, UCR, and Modern. Kemmyn (for example) uses a more phonetic spelling. It is up to you to decide which version appeals to you most, however it should be noted that Modern Cornish reflects the language in its dying days in Cornwall (and therefore may be less relevant to Devonians) whilst the others are based on a reconstruction of Cornish as spoken in the middle ages - when the Celtic language still survived in Devon. To start, it is useful to identify a few words specifically relevant to Devonians learning Cornish. Devon Dewnans I am a Devon man Dewnans oma I am a Devon woman Dewnanses oma Devonian Dewnansek I am Devonian Dewnansek oma Cornwall Kernow Somerset Haf an Gwlas Wales Kembry Scotland Alban England Pow Saws Plymouth Aberplym (although the Plym of Plymouth has its own origin as a backformation from a settlement at the head of the Plym's tidal estuary - now known as Plympton) Exeter Keresk Newton Abbot Penn Barnstaple Barum With no more ado - here are some links to Cornish language websites A beginners guide to Cornish Kernewek Warlinenn Have fun, but don't forget to check out the other links (to Old Devonian and to placenames) to gain a full picture of Devon's Celtic language. If you want to discuss any matters relating to this site - here is a link to a discussion group return to homepage |
