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 [ж]: | |

|wasp [wa:sp] |warm [wжrm] | |

|watch [wa:t?] |warn [wжrn] | |

|want [wa:nt] |wart [wжrt] | |

|wander [wa:nd ] | | |

|“asp”, “ass”, “ast”, “a” > [ж]: grass [grжs], glass [glжs], fast [fжst] |

|“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” > [ж]: | |“a” > [ж]: |

|crane [krжn] | |crane [krжn] |

|frame [frжm] | |frame [frжm] |

|lame [lжm] | |lame [lжm] |

|make [mжk] | |make [mжk] |

|name [nжm] | |name [nжm] |

|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 | | |

|> [e]: | | |

|bind [ben] | | |

|blind [blen] | | |

|find [ven] | | |

|grind [gren] | | |

|“i” before “ld” |

| |Eastern | |

| |> [i:]: | |

| |mild [mi:ld] | |

| |wild [wi:ld] | |

| |child [t??ld] | |

|“i” in the open syllable |

|South-Western |Southern | |

|> [e?]: |> [e?]: | |

|fly [fle?] |bide [be?d] | |

|lie [le?] |wide [we?d] | |

|thigh [?e?] |time [te?m] | |

|Eastern | | |

|> [ ?]: | | |

|fly [fl ?] | | |

|lie [l ?] | | |

|“o” in the closed syllable followed by a consonant |

|South-Western | |Eastern |

|> [a:]: | |> [ ]: |

|dog [da:g] | |cot [k t] |

|cross [kra:s] | |bottom [b tm] |

| | |dog [d g] |

| | |cross [kr s] |

| | |Western |

| | |> [a:]: |

| | |dog [da:g] |

| | |cross [kra:s] |

|“o” + a nasal consonant |

|North-Western |Western |Western |

|> [ж]: |> [ж]: | |

|among [?’mж?] |among [?’mж?] |among [?’mж?] |

|long [lж?] |long [lж?] |long [lж?] |

|wrong [rж?] |wrong [rж?] |wrong [rж?] |

|“ol” + a consonant |

| |Western |Western |

| |> [u?]: |> [u?]: |

| |gold [gv?ld] |gold [gv?ld] |

| |old [u?ld] |old [u?ld] |

|“o” in the open syllable and “oa” |

| |Western | |

| |> [ ]: | |

| |bone [b n] | |

| |broad [br d] | |

| |rope [r p] | |

| |load [l d] | |

| |“oi” | |

| | |> [a?]: |

| | |choice [t?a?s] |

| | |join [d(a?n] |

| | |moil [ma?l] |

| | |point [pa?nt] |

| | |spoil [spa?l] |

| | |voice [va?s] |

|“u” in the closed syllable |

|Southern | | |

|> [e]: | | |

|but [bet] | | |

|dust [dest] | | |

|“ou” / ”ow” |

| | |Easter |

| | |> [av]: |

| | |low [lav] |

| | |owe [au] |

|“oo” |

|North-Western |Western |Middle/Eastern |

|> [?]: |> [ц]: |> [ ]: |

|good [g?d] |book [bцk] |book [b k] |

|hood [h?d] |cook [kцk] |brook [br k] |

|foot [f?t] |crook [krцk] |crook [kr k] |

|blood [bl?d] |look [lцk] |look [l k] |

|stood [st?d] |took [tцk] |took [t k] |

|bloom [bl?m] |good [gцd] |good [g d] |

|broom [br?m] |foot [fцt] |foot [f t] |

|moon [m?n] |stood [stцd] |soot [s t] |

|loom [l?m] | |flood [fl d] |

|Eastern | | |

|> [ ]: | | |

|book [b k] | | |

Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10