[Spellyans] An Abecedary Kernowek

[Michael Everson]

On 29 Mar 2009, at 08:16, Craig Weatherhill wrote:

> Just for the sake of interest, Dick Gendall (after F.W.P. Jago) gives:
>
> aa, bee, zee, dee, ee, aaf, jee, aatch, eye, jaa, kaa, ael, ame,  
> ane, o, pee, koo/kiew, ar, ess, tee, oo/yiew, vey, double yiew, ex,  
> whye, zad  (Practical Dictionary of Modern Cornish 1997, P. XI).

Thanks for that. I don't know where Dick got that... it's not in  
Jago's dictionary (at least not in the front or back matter or s.v.  
Alphabet) anyway. Nevertheless, transcribed to KS orthography that  
would be:

Gendall:
ê, bî, zî, dî, î, êf, jî,
êch, ey, jê, kê, el, êm, ên, ow, pî,
cû/kyû, àr, ess, tî, û/yû, vêy
dùbel yû, ex, whey, zad

Compare the others, also transcribed into KS:

KK (omits C, Q, X, Z, adds CH):
â, bê, châ, dê, ê, ev, gê,
hâ, î, jê, kâ, ell, èm, èn, ô, pê,
àr, ess, tê, û, vê,
wê, yê

Talek? (omits I, adds DH, GH, TH)
â, bê, cê, dê, èdh, ê, fê, gê,
ègh, hê, jê, kê, ell, èm, èn, ô, pê,
qwê, èr, ess, tê, thê, û, vê,
wê, yâ, zê

My own version posted yesterday:
â, bê, cê, dê, ê, ef, gê,
êch, î, jê, kê, ell, èm, èn, ô, pê
cû, èr, ess, tê, û, vê,
wê, ex, yê, zê.

Standard English for comparison with all:
ê, bî, cî, dî, î, êf, jî,
êch, ay, jê, kê, el, èm, èn, ô, pî,
kyû, àr, ess, tî, yû, vî
dùbel yû, ex, way, zèd/zî

First point: there is the Ay-Bee-Cee English tradition in (evidently  
Jago and) Gendall, and there is a more European Ah-Bay-Say tradition  
in Brown and in Talek(?).

Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com