Celebrate our Cornish language

In this coming week’s Cornish Guardian, I have chosen to focus on recent publicity about the Cornish language and to publicise the news that the unitary authority will be adopting a new Language Plan next week. Thanks to Pol Hodge for the translation. The article will be as follow:

The Cornish language has been in the headlines quite a bit lately and, this week, Cornwall Council will be agreeing a new Cornish Language Plan.

Media stories have included the call from acclaimed poet Benjamin Zephaniah for a greater awareness of the "different cultures and languages" of Britain, when he also expressed the view that Cornish should be taught more widely.

The erection of a prominent “dual language” sign on the police station in Truro was also widely covered, while Cornwall Council’s confirmation that it would be encouraging reception staff to sometimes use Cornish phrases made it into a host of UK-wide and regional newspapers.

Much of the coverage has been extremely positive, and I was very pleased that a poll on the Daily Mirror website found over 90% agreed “Cornwall’s old language” should be preserved.

But sadly, illiberal comments on newspaper websites such as The (Manchester!) Guardian continue to show considerable disrespect to Cornwall and its identity, while TV comedian Jimmy Carr even got in on the act with offensive comments about the Cornish which he could not have made against other ethnic groups.

I hope that we can rise above such comments and use them as a catalyst to work even harder to promote our distinct national identity.

Yth esa an yeth kernewek y’n pennlinennow menowgh a-gynsow hag an seythen ma y fydh Konsel Kernow owth akordya Towlen Yeth Kernewek nowydh.

Yn-mysk hwedhlow media yth esa gans bardh a-vri Benjamin Zephaniah rag moy arwodhvos a’n “gonisogethegow ha yethow dyffrans” Breten Veur, pan wrug ev profya tybyans rag Kernewek bos dyskys moy ledan.

An sav bannek a arwodhyow “diw yeth” orth gorsav kreslu yn Truru o merkys o derivys yn efan. Ha’n konfirmyans Konsel Kernow a wra kolonnhe mayni degemerva dhe dhevnydhya lavaryow Kernewek.

Meur a’n derivans re beu pur bosedhek, hag yth en vy pes da gweles poll-govyn yn gwisva Daily Mirror bos 90% akordys y tal bos gwithys “yeth koth Kernow.”

Mes yn trist, kampollow anlarj yn gwisavaow paper-nowodhow avel The Guardian (Manchester) a bes diskwedha anvri dhe Gernow ha’y honanieth, ha komeder PW Jimmy Carr a wrug y rann gans kompollow divlas a-dro dhe’n gernowyon na yll ev gul er bynn ken bagasow ethnek.

My a wayt ni dhe sevel a-ugh kampollow a’n par ma ha’ga devnydhya avel catalyst rag oberi kalessa hwath rag avisya agan honanieth kenedhlek diblans.