Publication of the second edition of Gerlyver Kescows in printed form is expected in 2022. Meanwhile the full text of the Place-Names section appears below. This may be modified from time to time in the light of comments. So if you are supportive of revived traditional Cornish and the Kernowek Standard spelling system, please let us know if you find any errors or think something might be improved. Go to Contact Us.
This text: 24 February 2022 (10:00)
PLACE-NAMES
Gender is only relevant for place-names insofar as a feminine noun triggers Second State of a following attributive adjective. A few place-names are unequivocally feminine: e.g. Kernow and Loundres. Place-names based on an ordinary masculine noun can be regarded as masculine: e.g. Pow an Sowson. For a city (cyta), a town (tre), or a village (pendra or peneglos), one may apply the convention that, since these words are feminine, the place-name is feminine too. But this can be inappropriate when the name itself is transparently masculine: e.g. Penzans. And the fact that ‘gwlas’ is feminine is not generally considered a ground for treating all country names as feminine too. Names of countries and regions ending -a or -ya based on Latin -a / -ia are feminine for some speakers (as in Latin) but masculine for others (as loan-words). Sometimes vowel length and stress pattern varies for international names adapted to Cornish. One may apply norms common with names native to Cornwall, but there is also the influence of English pronunciation, and one may prefer to be guided by etymology or by pronunciation in language(s) associated with the place in question.
Diacritical marks are commonly omitted from place-names.
Kernow ha Syllan – Cornwall and Scilly
an Lesard Lizard Point
an Stert Torpoint
an Tireth Uhel North Cornwall
Arwednak (Falmoth) Falmouth
Ash Saltash
Austol St Austell
Bosvena Bodmin
Bronel Brannel
Cambron Camborne
Carrek Loos i’n Coos St Michael’s Mount
Din Kernowyon Tintagel Castle
Dowr Fala the [River] Fal
Dowr Tamar the [River] Tamar Note phrase dres Tamar = in / to England
Eglos Hallow Illogan
Eglos Melan Mullion
[Ewny] Redrudh ‖ Redruth
Fowy the [River] Fowey; West Wivelshire
Glasneth Glasney
Gûn Brèn Bodmin Moor
Hayl Hayle
Hellÿs ‖ Helston
Keryer Kerrier
Lanahevran ‖ St Keverne
Langordhow ‖ Fowey (town)
Lanstefan ‖ Launceston
Lanùst ‖ St Just
Lanvausa ‖ St Mawes
Lanwedhenek ‖ Padstow
Logh East Looe
Lulyn ‖ Newlyn
Lÿs Kernow New County Hall
Lÿskerwys ‖ Liskeard
Lÿsnowyth ‖ Lesnewth
Mahonyer the Helford River
Manahek Meneage
Pedera Pydar
Pedn an Wlas Land’s End
Penwyth Penwith
Penzans Penzance
Porth Bian West Looe
Porth Ia St Ives
Porth Leven Porthleven
Pow Ereder Powder
Project Eden (an Edenva) the Eden Project
Ros Rame Peninsula; Roseland
Rÿslegh ‖ East Wivelshire
Stradneth Stratton
Towan (Tewyn) Plustry Newquay
Trûrû (Tryverow) Truro
Trygor Trigg
Wade Wadebridge
An Enesow Bretednek ha’n Chanel – The British Isles and the Channel
Aldernes Alderney
an Chanel The [English] Channel
an Wlascor Udnys The United Kingdom
Belfast ‖ Belfast
Breten Veur (An Vreten Veur) Great Britain
Brystow Bristol
Dinedyn ‖ Edinburgh
Dowr Havren The [River] Severn
Dowr Tamys (Tavos) The [River] Thames
Dulyn ‖ Dublin
Enesow an Chanel The Channel Islands
Enesow Heleth (Nessa / Pella) The [Inner / Outer] Hebrides
Enesow Orgh (An Orcados) The Orkneys
Enesow Shetlond The Shetland Isles
Enys Oth (Gwyth) The Isle of Wight
[Enys] Manow The Isle of Man
[Enys] Mon Anglesey
Garnsy Guernsey
Gwlas an Hâv Somerset
Jersy Jersey
Kembra Wales
Kerdÿdh ‖ Cardiff
Keresk ‖ Exeter
Kergraunt ‖ Cambridge
Kergynt ‖ Canterbury
Loundres London
Mor Havren The Bristol Channel
Mor Keltek The Celtic Sea
Mor Kembra St George’s Channel
Mor Wordhen The Irish Sea
Plymoth Plymouth
Pow an Sowson (Englond, Inglond) England
Pow Densher Devon
Rësohen ‖ Oxford
Sarkenys ‖ Sark
Scotland Scotland
Wordhen Ireland
Wordhen North Northern Ireland
Brâstir Ewrôpa ha’n Mor Cres – Continental Europe and the Mediterranean
Albânya Albania
an Alpow The Alps
an Balcanyow The Balkans
an Iseldiryow The Netherlands
an Mor Baltek The Baltic [Sea]
an Mor Enesek The Aegean Sea
an Mor North The North Sea
an Repùblyk Check The Czech Republic
an Vatycan The Vatican
Armênya Armenia
Austrya Austria
Bavârya Bavaria
Belarûss ‖ Belarus
Bohêmya (Bohêm) Bohemia
Bosnya Bosnia
Bourdel Bordeaux
Breten Vian (An Vreten Vian) Brittany
Bùlgârya Bulgaria
Bùrgayn Burgundy
Catalônya Catalonia
Cossova Kosovo
Crêta Crete
Croâcya Croatia
Cyprùs Cyprus
Denmark Denmark
Dowr Donow The [River] Danube
Dowr Elb The [River] Elbe
Dowr Loyr The [River] Loire
Dowr Reyn The [River] Rhine
Dowr Ron The [River] Rhône
Dowr Seyn The [River] Seine
Estônya Estonia
Frynk France
Fynlond Finland
Grêss Greece
Ibêrya Iberia
Italy Italy
Jermany (Almayn) Germany
Jybraltar Gibraltar
Latvya Latvia
Lettow Lithuania
Lùxemborg ‖ Luxembourg
Majorca Majorca
Malta Malta
Menorca Minorca
Menydhyow Carpathyan The Carpathians
Menydhyow Pyren The Pyrenees
Moldôva Moldova
Montenegrô ‖ Montenegro
North-Macedoyn North Macedonia
Norwey (Norgagh) Norway
Poloyn Poland
Portyn’gal ‖ Portugal
Pow Bask The Basque Country
Pow Beljan Belgium
Pow Swyts Switzerland
Românya Romania
Rùssya Russia
Sardîn Sardinia
Serbya Serbia
Slovakya Slovakia
Slovênya Slovenia
Spayn Spain
Swêden Sweden
Sycyly Sicily
Tùrky Turkey
Ûcrayn [The] Ukraine
Ùngary Hungary
An Norvÿs – The World
Afganystan ‖ Afghanistan
Afryca Africa
Ameryca America
Ameryca Cres Central America
an Antarctek The Antarctic
an Arctek The Arctic
an Cawcassùs The Caucasus
an Gwasttatiryow The Steppes
an Keheseth The Equator
an Kelgh Arctek / Antarctek The Arctic / Antarctic Circle
an Lohow Meur The Great Lakes
an Menydhyow Carnak The Rocky Mountains
an Meurbrasow The Prairies
an Mor Arctek The Arctic Ocean
an Mor Atlantek The Atlantic [Ocean]
an Mor Carybean The Caribbean [Sea]
an Mor Caspyan The Caspian [Sea]
an Mor Cosel The Pacific [Ocean]
an Mor Du The Black Sea
an Mor Rudh The Red Sea
an Morbleg [Arabek] The [Arabian / Persian] Gulf
an Stâtys Udnys The United States
an Trovaow The Tropics
an West-Eyndaow The West Indies
an Ÿst Cres The Middle East
an Ÿst Pell The Far East
Antarctyca Antarctica
Araby Saûdy (Sawdek) Saudi Arabia
Arjentîn Argentina
Âsya Asia
Austrâlya Australia
Brasîl Brasil
Canada Canada
Cashmîr Kashmir
Chîna (Cathay) China
Crymea Crimea
Cùrdystan ‖ Kurdistan
Dowr Amazon The [River] Amazon
Dowr Jordan The [River] Jordan
Dowr Nil The [River] Nile
Dowrgledh ‖ Panama The Panama Canal
Dowrgledh ‖ Sûez The Suez Canal
Dysert [an] Sahara The Sahara [Desert]
Ejyp Egypt
Emîredhow Arabek Udnys United Arab Emirates
Enesow Canary The Canary Islands
Enesow Falkland (Malô) Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Evrok Nowyth New York
Ewrâsya Eurasia
Eynda India
Eynda-Cathay Indo-China
Grênlond Greenland
Hong-Cong ‖ Hong Kong
Indonêsya Indonesia
Irâk Iraq
Irân Iran
Islond Iceland
Israel (Isrel) Israel
Jamaica Jamaica
Japan Japan
Latyn-Ameryca Latin America
Loghlyn ‖ Scandinavia
Lyban Lebanon
Madagascar Madagascar
Menydhyow Andes The Andes
Menydhyow Hymalaya The Himalayas
Mexycô Mexico
Mor Eynda The Indian Ocean
Morbleg ‖ Byscay The Bay of Biscay
North-Ameryca North America
North-Corea North Korea
Pakystan ‖ Pakistan
Palestîn Palestine
Pedn Ehel an North / Soth The North / South Pole
Penrîn an Corn Cape Horn
Penrîn an Govenek Dâ The Cape of Good Hope
Pow an Pùscas Newfoundland
Pow Tay Thailand
Sêlond Nowyth New Zealand
Soth-Afryca South Africa
Soth-Ameryca South America
Soth-Corea South Korea
Sry-Lanca (Ceylan) Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Sybery Siberia
Syngapor Singapore
Syrya (Syry) Syria
Taywan Taiwan
Trovan an Avar The Tropic of Capricorn
Trovan an Canker The Tropic of Cancer
Tûnysya Tunisia
Tybet (Tubek) Tibet
Vyetnam ‖ Vietnam
Yemen Yemen
Ethnicities, inhabitants, languages
Cornish has a system of nouns and adjectives for ethnicities, inhabitants, languages; but a list of these words would be too much for a small conversational dictionary. You can always use the name of the country to make a paraphrase. Thus, ‘a Frynk’ (from France) may be substituted for an adjective meaning French, and you can say ‘den a Frynk’ or 'benyn a Frynk' for a French person and ‘tavas Frynk’ for the French language.