Vocabulary of Cornish in Archaeologia Britannica
by Edward Lhuyd 1707 (Kernûak)


1.    mother           dama
2.    father           sira
3.    sister           hor
4.    brother           bredar
5.    daughter           merh
6.    son           mab


1.    water           doụr
2.    fire           tân
3.    sun           hoụl
4.    moon           lûr
5.    wind           gụenz
6.    rain           glâụ


1.    one           idn
2.    two           deaụ
3.    three           tre
4.    four           padzhar
5.    five           pemp
6.    six           hụih


1.    cat           kâth
2.    dog           kei
3.    horse           marh
4.    cow           byụh
5.    fish           pysg
6.    bird           hedhen
7.    tree           gụedhan
8.    flower           bledzhan


1.    white           gụydn
2.    black           diụ
3.    red           rydh
4.    green           gụêr
5.    yellow           mellyn
6.    blue           bloụ
7.    grey           lûdzh
8.    brown           teụal


In 1707 the Welsh scholar Edward Lhuyd published a vocabulary of the Cornish language which at that time was still spoken in:

Plû-East (St Just)
Senan (Sennen)
Selevan (St Levan)
Borrian (St Buryan)
Sanckras (Sancreed)
Pawl (Paul)
Gulvall (Gulval)
Madern (Madron)
Senar (Zennor)
Twidnack (Towednack)
Porthia (St Ives)
Lanante (Lelant)
Lusvan (Ludgvan)

The few people who wrote in Cornish in the 18th Century used English spelling rules, but Lhuyd used his own phonetic system which gives us a more accurate impression of Cornish pronunciation.

  1. Dezil
  2. De lîn
  3. De merh
  4. De marhar
  5. De ioụ
  6. De gụenar
  7. De zadarn
  1. Mîz genvar
  2. Mîz hụevral
  3. Mîz merh
  4. Mîz ebral
  5. Mîz mê
  6. Mîz ephan
  7. Mîz gorephan
  8. Mîz east
  9. Mîz gụedn-gala
  10. Mîz hedra
  11. Mîz diu
  12. Mîz kevardhiụ
  1. north
  2. south
  3. east
  4. west
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