[Spellyans] SWF review results.

[Michael Everson]

On 27 Mar 2014, at 13:24, Craig Weatherhill <craig at agantavas.org> wrote:

> I've always said the same thing, Ken.   Surviving textual Cornish is limited and, therefore, we have to include place-name history in that category, although some disagree.

Place-names in Cornwall, as in Ireland, were very often recorded by monoglot English speakers who had no knowledge of the local language or of its scribal and orthographic traditions. Place-name evidence is important for its content, but the analysed place-name forms should be spelt in accordance with a rigorous orthography for the language. The tail should not wag the dog, however, in determining what such a rigorous orthography’s graphs should be. 

> There is a move afoot to replace SWF <oo> with <oe>.  I find that I can't really disagree with this, or condemn it as a Kemmynism, for historical reasons.  The vast majority of the spellings of <goon> in Middle Cornish place-name history write <goen>.   One name, Goenrounsan (St Enoder) retains that spelling to this day.  <loes> and <coes> are often found, too.  For me <oo> is too Anglicised, but I'm sure some will disagree with me.

In place-names, both <oe> and <oo> reflect the habits of English orthography. While <oo> is found in extended Cornish-language documents, <oe> is not. 

It is a mistake to say that <oo> is more Anglicized than <oe>. 

Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/