[Spellyans] Thank you

[Nicholas Williams]

I have collected the following ways of saying 'Thank you' in traditional
Cornish:

*A das a nef gromercy* OM 407
*gromersy arluth a brys* OM 2313
*serys gromersy yn weth* OM 2395
*ha largys ha gromersy *OM 2465
*Gromersy arloth hep par* OM 2595
*grant mercy syre iustis* PC 3133
*grant merci syr iustis* RD 95
*Gramercy zywy warbarth* BM 258
*Gromercy meryasek wek* BM 286
*Gromercy meryasek wek *BM 298
*Gromercy agen lych da *BM 308
*Tewdar gyntel, gromercy* BK 641
*Gramersy theso, dremas!*  BK 823
*Teuthar gentel, gramersy!* BK 1093
*Gromersy a’n gwelha tas* BK 1554
*Gromersy, arluth cortys* BK 1594
*Gramersy, arluth glorius* BK 1626
*Gramercy, ow arluth gay *BK 3060
*Gramersie, gentyll Howen *BK 3214
* myhall sera thewgh gramercy* CW 599
*Gad marshe ‘I thanke you’ *Symmonds 1644
*gura massi* Lhuyd (Vocabulary)

*mear a rase thewhy sera*  CW 702
 *a das kere mere rase thewhy* CW 1953
*Merastawhy ‘Many thanks to you’ *Polwhele*
*[and cf. *ankow y whon theis mur grace* CW 1999]

*Durdala dewhy, syr* ‘Thank you, sir’ Borde
*Da, durdala tha why *‘Well, I thank you’ Carew

Apart from the eight instances in *Bewnans Ke *Nance was familiar with all
these. He must have known that *Gromercy* was by far the most common way in
Cornish at all periods for 'thank you'. *Gromercy* is cited by Lhuyd at the
beginning of the eighteenth century and by Symmonds from the Civil War
period; so it is not just a medieval form. Nance taught either *Dùrdala
dhywgh why* or *Meur ras dhywgh why*.
Nance seems to have ignored *Gromercy*, presumably because it seemed too
much like a borrowing.* *We have here yet another of Nance's purisms.

Should* not Gromercy* be the default way of saying 'I thank you' in the
revived language?

Nicholas
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