Page:The ancient language, and the dialect of Cornwall.djvu/19

 IX cause of a needless, but under such a plan, an unavoidable repetition of words in each division. In writing on the provincial wofds, so many of which are ancient Cornish, a notice of the decline, and of the remains of that language is required, and as standard Cornish Histories are rather scarce and expensive, a sketch, as nearly as possible in the authentic words of Cornish historians, is given. The writer has collected a number of words as spoken in Cornwall at this very time, and he has compared them with similar ones used by Chaucer 500 years ago. The resemblance is an interesting peculiarity of the Cornish dialect; and for illustration, quotations from Chaucer are given for each word used provincially. A great many apparently barbarous, unmeaning, and uncouth words are evidently derived from the ancient Cornish language. By making comparisons between such words, and those formerly used by the old Cornish people, the writer has tried to make such obscure terms more clearly understood. No doubt there are many faults in spite of every care in compiling this glossary of about 3700 words. Many words have been purposely omitted because they seemed too common in other districts outside Corn- wall, and probably, many which should have been excluded, are left in the glossary. However this may be, and to whatever extent this book may be considered by the critic as meagre, and im- perfect ; yet it is hoped that such a volume as this may be of some use, or interest to those who desire to possess a