[Spellyans] kal revisited

[Owen Cook]

The fact that Lhuyd apparently always has this as 'kal' rather than
'kâl' makes me think that the vowel is short, and that in KS we should
write the word as 'call' (corresponding nicely with the adjective
'callek') or else 'càl'. As a placename prefix, of course, 'cal-' is
well and good as far as KS would be concerned. Any thoughts?

~~Owen

2009/1/4 Craig Weatherhill <craig at agantavas.org> rug screfa:
> In place-names, <cal> is one of several "body-part" words used for
> topographic features (<bron> <tyn> and <tor> being other common examples).
>  It would signify a pointed hill or rock.  In Carrallack, St Just, (derived
> from ker + callek, lenited to gallek) the adjectival form is given and I
> think this might be the sole example of the adjective.  The name would mean
> something on the lines of: "fort by the penis-like feature" (undoubtedly the
> adjacent hill of Carn Bosavern which, seen from the west where Carrallack
> stands, has a very distinctive shape).
>
> Craig