How to use this glossary
This is a short reference to widely known words and terms met when reading about Cornwall. It is not a language course. Some entries are Cornish-language words, some are English dialect words, and some are technical terms from mining and building that became part of everyday Cornish speech. Spellings vary between sources, and the Cornish language itself has several written forms, so you may see the same word written differently on a sign, in a book and online. Meanings given here are general.
Language and identity
- Kernow. The Cornish name for Cornwall. It is widely used on signs, in organization names and in everyday talk about Cornish identity.
- Kernewek. The Cornish language. For the wider background, see the pages on the Cornish language and the modern language revival.
- Dydh da. Commonly given as “good day”, a greeting that many visitors see.
- Meur ras. Commonly given as “thank you” (literally “great thanks”). Spellings differ by system.
- Duchy. The Duchy of Cornwall, a long-standing institution connected with the heir to the throne. It is distinct from the county council and from ordinary local government.
- Gorsedh. A gathering of bards and supporters of Cornish culture, linked to the wider Celtic revival. It is described on its own page about Gorsedh Kernow.
Mining terms
- Wheal. A mine or mine working, found in many names such as Wheal Something. Compare the related word bal, used for a mine in some contexts.
- Adit. A near-horizontal tunnel used for drainage or access.
- Bal maiden. A woman or girl who worked on the surface at a mine, often breaking and sorting ore.
- Tributer and tutworker. Miners paid under different arrangements. A tributer was generally paid by a share of the value of the ore raised, while a tutworker was generally paid for the amount of ground excavated.
- Croust. The miner’s meal break, or the food taken underground. Spellings vary (crib and crowst appear too).
- Knockers. The folk spirits said to tap inside mines. See the page on mine knockers.
- Engine house. The building that held a steam pumping or winding engine, a familiar landmark of the old mining districts.
- Cousin Jack. A name for a Cornish miner, especially overseas, with the female form Cousin Jenny. Opinions differ about its origin and whether it is always friendly, so context matters.
Landscape and coast
- Carn. A pile or outcrop of rock, common on the hills and moors.
- Tor. A rocky outcrop on high ground, especially on granite uplands.
- Coombe. A small valley, a word shared with other parts of south-west England.
- Zawn. A steep-sided narrow inlet in a cliff, known in west Cornwall. It is sometimes also spelled in other ways.
- Porth. A cove, harbor or landing place in many place names.
- Hedge. In Cornwall, often a stone-faced earth bank rather than a row of shrubs. A separate page covers Cornish hedges.
- Downs. Open rough ground, sometimes rendered in Cornish as goon.
- Killas. A local term for the slaty rock found across much of the county.
Buildings and everyday things
- Chapel. In Cornwall usually a nonconformist (often Methodist) place of worship rather than the parish church.
- Fish cellar. A building, often near a harbor, where fish such as pilchards were salted and stored.
- Net loft. An upper room or floor used for storing and mending nets.
- Cob. A walling material made from earth and straw, found in parts of the county.
- Cloam. Earthenware, and the baking oven built into some old chimneys is often called a cloam oven.
- Fogou. A man-made underground passage associated with Iron Age settlements in west Cornwall. Its purpose is debated.
- Quoit. A prehistoric stone chamber, usually a capstone resting on uprights.
Food and daily talk
- Pasty and oggy. The pasty is the filled pastry that became an emblem of Cornwall, and “oggy” is a dialect word for it.
- Dreckly. A well-known dialect word, often used humorously, meaning something like “directly” and implying “sometime soon, perhaps”.
- Proper job. An expression of approval for something well done.
- Emmet. A dialect word for an ant, which has also been used for visitors. It can be meant kindly or not, so it is best avoided as a casual label.
- Teasy. Irritable or bad-tempered.
- My lover, my handsome, my bird. Familiar terms of address, used warmly. They are part of normal talk, not flattery or flirtation.
Notes on spelling and use
Cornish spelling has several competing standard systems, and place names often keep older spellings that no longer match any of them. English dialect words, too, may be written in several ways, because they were mostly spoken rather than written. If you see a term spelled differently elsewhere, it is not necessarily wrong.
It is also worth remembering that some of these words carry social meaning. A term like emmet or Cousin Jack can be affectionate in one setting and rude in another. Where in doubt, listen to how local people use a word before using it yourself. A few of these entries are expanded elsewhere, including the page on Cornish dialect and the pillar on reading place names.