[Spellyans] borrowing ~ purism

[Ray Chubb]

I hope that Craig accepts Nicholas's apology.

With regard to the list below, I have used many of these words for  
years and it never once occurred to me that I was speaking English  
when I did so.


On 29 Gor 2011, at 15:57, nicholas williams wrote:

> Some people dislike excessive use of borrowings and they have a  
> point. Nobody likes an excessive use of anything.
> Tregear is our longest text and our only significant MC text in  
> prose and he uses a very large number of borrowed words.
> I am always struck, however, by how universal borrowings are in all  
> the MC texts, not just in Tregear.
> It may be that Tregear used an English word because he couldn't  
> think of the correct Cornish word at the time.
> In the other texts it is likely that borrowings were used because  
> they weren't felt to be borrowings. When the authors of
> PA and BM wrote <payment>, <pemont> they almost certainly weren't  
> aware that they were using an English borrowing.
> They thought the word was a Cornish word just like the others. It is  
> for this reason that I am unhappy about purism.
> The MC authors and scribes were educated men and they spoke Cornish  
> every day. They knew the language far better
> than we, and they almost certainly knew English and Latin as well.  
> Leave aside Tregear for a moment. If the other writers use
> a word in Cornish, we can be sure that such an item form part of  
> their native lexicon. Who then are we to condemn it?
> That is why I will use pêmont in preference to the invented talas.
>
> Here are some verbs in Origo Mundi (I spell them in KS):
>
> amendya 'to emend'
> amowntya 'to amount, count'
> aspia 'to spy'
> avauncya 'to advance, promote'
> blâmya 'to blame, condemn'
> cachya 'to catch'
> châcya 'to chase, pursue'
> comfortya 'to comfort'
> comondya 'to command'
> compressa 'to oppress'
> conqwerrya 'to conquer'
> cria 'to cry'
> delyvra 'to deliver'
> desirya 'to desire'
> encressya 'to increase'
> exilya 'to exile, banish'
> formya 'to create, fashion'
> governya 'to govern'
> grauntya 'to grant'
> grêvya 'to grieve, afflict'
> growndya 'to found, base'
> gwandra 'to wander'
> gwarnya 'to warn'
> hackya 'to hack'
> jùnya 'to join'
> knoukya 'to knock, hit'
> lêdya 'to lead'
> lettya 'to hinder, prevent'
> lordya 'to lord it, swagger'
> mentêna 'to maintain, uphold'
> merkya 'to mark, notice'
> myshevya 'to damage, do mischief to'
> obeya 'to obey'
> offendya 'to offend'
> onora 'to honour'
> ordena 'to ordain, decree'
> plainya 'to plane'
> plêsya 'to please'
> posnya 'to poison'
> pùnyshya 'to punish'
> pyt 'pit'
> recêva 'to receive'
> remuvya 'to remove'
> repreva 'to reprove'
> rewardya 'to reward'
> sacryfia 'to sacrifice'
> scappya 'to escape'
> servya 'to serve'
> sêsya 'to seize'
> settya 'to set, place'
> shâpya 'to shape'
> shyndya 'to damage, shend'
> sostena 'to sustain, feed'
> sparya 'to spare'
> strechya 'to stretch, delay'
> talkya 'to talk'
> tastya 'to taste'
> temptya 'to tempt'
> tormentya 'to torment, torture'
> trestya 'to trust'
> venemya 'to poison'
> wolcùmma 'to welcome'.
>
> Here are some borrowed nouns in Origo Mundi:
>
> acord 'accord, agreement'
> adla 'outlaw'
> amendys 'amends'
> aray 'array'
> baner 'banner, flag'
> blojon 'bludgeon'
> botler 'butler'
> branch, branchys 'branch'
> brest 'breast'
> carpentor, carpentoryon 'carpenter'
> castel 'castle'
> chambour 'bedroom, chamber'
> chartour 'charter'
> chatel 'chattels'
> cheryta 'charity'
> chyften 'chieftain'
> company 'company'
> consler 'councellor'
> conternôt 'counternote'
> copel 'couple'
> courser 'courser'
> coward 'coward'
> cowardy 'cowardice'
> creft 'craft'
> cymbal, cymbalys 'cymbal'
> cyta 'city'
> draght 'draught'
> dynyta 'dignity'
> dyscant 'descant'
> dysês 'disease, unease'
> emperour 'emperor'
> erber 'herb garden'
> ertach 'heritage'
> fardel 'burden'
> fâss 'face'
> fesont 'pheasant'
> flour, flourys 'flower'
> flynt 'flint'
> frût 'fruit'
> garlont, garlontow 'garland'
> governour 'governor'
> harlot 'scoundrel'
> harp, harpys 'harp'
> hôra 'whore'
> jentylys 'kindness, gentillesse'
> jist 'joist'
> joy 'joy'
> kynda 'kind, sort'
> latha, lathys 'lath'
> mallart 'mallard'
> maner 'manner'
> mason, masons 'mason'
> menstrel 'minstrel'
> mercy 'mercy'
> merkyl 'miracle'
> messejer 'messenger'
> myshyf 'mischief, harm'
> mytour 'mitre'
> nùmber 'number'
> offens 'offence, attack'
> olyf 'olive'
> onour 'honour'
> organ 'organ'
> ost 'host'
> ostel 'hostel'
> oyl 'oil'
> pain 'pain'
> palfray 'palfry'
> paradîs 'paradise'
> passyon 'passion'
> person 'person'
> pervers 'overthrow, reverse'
> peryl 'peril'
> porpùs 'porpoise'
> pyta 'pity'
> record 'record'
> reouta 'royalty, splendour'
> rom, rômys 'room'
> sacryfîs 'sacrifice'
> serpont 'serpent, snake'
> servont 'servant'
> servys 'service'
> sheft 'shaft'
> sovran 'sovereign'
> smyllyng 'smell, smelling'
> sôdon 'sultan'
> sowmen 'salmon'
> sqwier, sqwieryon 'squire'
> strem, strêmys 'stream'
> swàn 'swan'
> tabour 'tabour, tambourine'
> templa 'temple'
> tôkyn, tôknys 'token, sign'
> torment 'torment'
> tron 'throne'
> trynyta 'trinity'
> tùmbyr 'timber'
> venjons 'vengeance'
> voys 'voice'
> yet 'gate'.
>
> Is there anybody who would proscribe any of the above? And that's  
> just Origo Mundi.
>
> Nicholas
>
>
>
>
>
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Ray Chubb

Portreth
Kernow


   Agan Tavas web site:  www.agantavas.com

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