It is difficult – getting an official orthography for Cornish

It has not been an easy matter, getting agreement on a standard written form for the Cornish language. But Jenefer Lowe, Cornish Language Officer for Cornwall County Council — see (voir notre article) part III — in an interview for Radyo Kernew, has said that an announcement can be expected by the end of this month (April).

But we shall have to wait and see whether this will mean that from next September the language will be gradually introduced into schools and whether there will be some official documents in the language.

And although the official British government supported Cornish Language Partnership appeared some weeks ago to be coming to the opinion that the most widely used Kernewek Kemmyn (Common Cornish) would form the basis of the new orthography, supporters of other forms are reluctant to agree.

The Cornish discussion group Agan Tavas(1) (Our Tongue) are critical of the Kernewek Kemmyn orthography dismissing it as something produced by a computer with little semblance to the ancient Celtic language which is closely related to Breton and Welsh.

An ad hoc committee consisting of representatives of supporters of the various written forms of the language together met with the Norwegian linguist, Professor Trond Trosterud, who has been chosen to arbitrate in the dispute. Again, the various factions failed to agree.

While Kernewek Kemmyn is claimed to be by far the most widely used written form of modern Cornish and the form used by Kesva (The Cornish Language Board), the Agan Tavas group - its two most prominent members are based in Dublin - have some academic support, particularly from the Cornish Studies Department of Exeter University.

The general consensus seems to favour an orthography mainly based on Kernewek Kemmyn with some adjustments but this is not acceptable to all, least of all Agan Tavas.

It is hoped that the argument can be settled soon so that Cornish can have its rightful place in schools and official documents.

Gwyn Griffiths

(1) Agan Tavas : The Society for the Protection and Promotion of the Cornish Language, he Support Group for Users of the Cornish Language. (voir le site)

See the translation in French on (voir notre article).