Cornish 1:1
From Wikiversity
[edit] Cornish 1:1 - IN MAKING
This is the first lesson of the first section of Wikiversity's Cornish course.
You will learn:
- Some general greetings
- Some basic nouns
- Some basic verbs
Most people who have visited Cornwall or have lived there all their lives, know a little Cornish, without knowing it. Have you ever heard of Penzance? There you go - inside that name is a very common word in placenames.
Pen
It means an "End", but also a "Head", or a "Head" of something (eg. Headteacher). Here is a mnemonic, you must try to imagine it as clearly as possible:
Imagine a man with a pen balancing on his head for the world record.
Try to involve as many senses as possible. For example, feel the worry as the pen starts to wobble. Feel the tense atmosphere of the crowd.
There are many placenames with PEN in it:
Penpol Penwith Penzance Penryn Penponds ... and more
Another word you may recognize is Tre.
This is also common in Surnames. The Cornish bishop locked in London Tower was Trelawney The inventor of the first mechanical (without animals or men) vehicle was Trevithick from Camborne
Many villiages and farms will have Tre in their name as well, such as Trevaskis and Trenoweth.
The meaning of TRE is Town or Farm. As a best translation, it is a settlement.
Mnemonic:
Imagine a woman wandering in to a TOWN with a TRAY. It is empty. She wanders through, staring at the setting sun. People watch through their windows and doors as she passes, not noticing anything.
