Cornish curiosity
14 replies
ABM replied on 01/05/2022 22:15
Tinwheeler replied on 01/05/2022 22:31
replied on 01/05/2022 23:36
brue replied on 02/05/2022 09:50
Posted on 02/05/2022 09:50
I sometimes take a little book to Cornwall that translates the meanings of words, some words merge in strange ways. Tintagel = Din - Tagell. The word Din can mean fort or rocks or even hill and it's the same elsewhere thanks to our old languages. Just to throw a spanner in the works not far from us we have Tintinhull and Tintinhull Forts.
In Cornish Tintagel is sometimes called Trevena, Tintagel came a lot later.
replied on 02/05/2022 10:48
Posted on 02/05/2022 09:50 by brueI sometimes take a little book to Cornwall that translates the meanings of words, some words merge in strange ways. Tintagel = Din - Tagell. The word Din can mean fort or rocks or even hill and it's the same elsewhere thanks to our old languages. Just to throw a spanner in the works not far from us we have Tintinhull and Tintinhull Forts.
In Cornish Tintagel is sometimes called Trevena, Tintagel came a lot later.
cyberyacht replied on 02/05/2022 11:18
mickysf replied on 02/05/2022 20:48
Posted on 02/05/2022 20:48
Nothing to do with Cornish I know but in Lincolnshire the old Shepherds counted their flock using this language/number system. We were taught it in junior school.
1 Yan
2 Tan
3 Tethera
4 Pethera
5 Pimp
6 Sethera
7 Lethera
8 Hovera
9 Covera
10 Dik
11 Yan-a-dik
12 Tan-a-dik
13 Tethera-dik
14 Pethera-dik
15 Bumfit
and so it goes on.
Wonder how the Cornish counted their sheep?
mickysf replied on 02/05/2022 21:43
Posted on 02/05/2022 20:48 by mickysfNothing to do with Cornish I know but in Lincolnshire the old Shepherds counted their flock using this language/number system. We were taught it in junior school.
1 Yan
2 Tan
3 Tethera
4 Pethera
5 Pimp
6 Sethera
7 Lethera
8 Hovera
9 Covera
10 Dik
11 Yan-a-dik
12 Tan-a-dik
13 Tethera-dik
14 Pethera-dik
15 Bumfitand so it goes on.
Wonder how the Cornish counted their sheep?
nelliethehooker replied on 04/05/2022 20:56
Posted on 04/05/2022 20:56
micky et al, it isn't just in your counties that those number names are used it also applies across Cumbria, with variations depending on the local area.
Metheven replied on 04/07/2022 16:30
Posted on 30/04/2022 17:32 byI know that there are some people who live in Cornwall on CT and I wonder if anyone can enlighten me please?
While at Tintagel recently, I noticed on written information boards (in both English and Cornish) that, as in Welsh, T mutated to D in certain circumstances. But mutations (in Welsh) happen following particular words. In one case, the mutation - Dintagel - happened at the beginning of a sentence. Why? What is the rule governing that? Anyone know?
So far, my (very basic) Cornish Grammar book has shed no light on that, and neither has Google. Totally idle curiosity!
Posted on 04/07/2022 16:30
My granddaughter is into the Cornish language, me I don't have a clue although being Cornish myself. She replies but I'm not certain I explained clearly to her:
Quote "Mutations are really common in all Celtic languages, but from my understanding in Kernewek ‘T’ is regularly mutated to D. This is usually determined by the noun (in this case ‘Tintagel’)’s indefinite article (‘a’, ‘an’) etc. so it’s really determined by what comes before it.
Some words have more than one mutation which gets confusing 🤣
For example: ‘cat’ is ‘kath’ in Kernewek.
But two cats is ‘gath’
Three cats is ‘hath’
Four cats is ‘kath’ again 🤣
Also for interest. It’s a mutation of the English ‘Tintagel’. The Kernewek for Tintagel is ‘Tre war Venydh’ which means ‘village on a mountain’"
She followed up with:
Quote " I thought it was a mutation because in the Cornish language, T is regularly mutated to D, but that's usually caused by an indefinite article. But I believe the Cornish 'Tintagel' is 'Dintagel' deriving from 'din' (fort) and 'tagel' (neck, throat, narrow)"