Names, varieties, and ideologies in revived Cornish

Presented on 5 July 2016, at theReies an 5 a vis Gorefen 2016, ort an 2nd Poznań Conference of Celtic Studies, pednscol Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 5–6 Julya vis Gorefen.

Abstract

Berrscrif

Within the field of Celtic Studies, the subject of names has at times been a source of contention. On the most fundamental level, the origin and coherency of the term ‘Celt’ or ‘Celtic’ itself has been questioned (Koch, 2003). This uncertainty is replicated today: peripheral and largely minoritised in terms of both political status and linguistic reality, the Celtic nations struggle to establish their identities (Kergoat, 1999).

Naming can be a significant process, reflecting concerns over ideology and ownership. Changes to place names in a postcolonial context, such as the change from Bombay to Mumbai, can be “applied as political tools” (Jørgensen, 2013, p. 79). When language varieties are given names, we can draw conclusions about how they are perceived, or how they are intended to be perceived by those who promote them.

This paper focuses on revived Cornish, which, undergoing a “tripartite split” (MacKinnon, 2000, p. 11) in the late 20th century, was subsequently divided into three major varieties, each with its own supporters. Within the context of the uncertainty and fragility surrounding Cornish identity (Kennedy, 2013), we are able to examine the names that have been given to these varieties of revived Cornish, and identify the concerns of those involved in creating these names. As well as the names of the language varieties themselves, this paper also looks at the names of the associations and bodies promoting these varieties, showing that such names often have the effect of underscoring the legitimacy of the different varieties in question. Cases where individual users of Cornish have changed their own names in an act of “Kernowisation” (Harasta, 2013, p. 196) are also examined.

Examining the names that have been established in these contexts thus gives us an insight into the ideologies at work in the Cornish language revival. Within the framework of Celtic identity and its precarious nature, we can identify the concerns of those involved in the Cornish revival movement and highlight the role of naming as an activity of legitimation.

References

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