Seven-year-old Albie, a pupil at Trewirgie infants’ school in Redruth, did not hesitate when asked why he liked learning Kernewek, the Cornish language.
“We used to talk this way in the old days,” he said. “And I like speaking now. I enjoy the songs we sing, the Cornish books we read, all the words. It’s fun.”
Albie was one of almost 200 children who descended on Lys Kernow (County Hall) in Truro for Go Cornish Celebration, a joyous event showcasing youngsters’ explorations of the Celtic language.
His teacher, Kirsten Maun, who leads the Cornish programme at the school, said the children relished learning the language. “Our school had already embraced our Cornish history,” she said. “For example, our classes are named after local tin mines, but I think learning the language helps the children understand their identity more deeply.
“They know they’re Cornish and they think that’s a special thing to them. Plus, they just like learning different words.” She added that the word for butterfly – tykki duw – was particularly popular. “They love that.”
The Go Cornish takeover of Lys Kernow came as Cornwall council is completing a striking 10-year strategy that envisages Kernewek as a “thriving, forever language – widely spoken, seen and heard in everyday life in Cornwall”.
Goals include making sure every child in Cornwall leaves primary school with a basic understanding of Cornish, establishing the first bilingual school and making sure Cornish is routinely seen and heard in civic spaces.
It says progress would include marriages and births being registered in Cornish, bilingual road signs and the development of a public service media in the language.
“You’ve got to have a bit of ambition, haven’t you?” said council leader Leigh Frost as he watched the children flit around Lys Kernow, sharing songs, rhymes and stories in Kernewek.
“We’re looking at what Wales has achieved in the last few decades [the Welsh language, Cymraeg, is a vital and vibrant part of Welsh life]. The Cornish language deserves that same opportunity.”
In January Kernewek was officially recognised under part three of the European charter for regional or minority languages, which gives it greater protection and status. “That puts it on a par with those other Celtic languages in the United Kingdom,” Frost said. But the strategy is being delivered on a shoestring – £170,000 a year.
Frost linked the promotion of Kernewek to the growing campaign for Cornwall to be named as the fifth nation of the UK, which would – he hopes – unlock more funding. “Make us a devolved nation of the United Kingdom, give us funding that is worked out in the same way as the other nations and we’ll crack on,” he said.
Legend has it that Kernewek vanished in the late 18th century as a living language with the death of the fish seller Dolly Pentreath in the Cornish harbourside town of Mousehole. However, it underwent a revival in the 20th and 21st centuries, mostly thanks to the work of passionate volunteers rather than official bodies.
The council bills it as a “remarkable resurgence”, though nobody is quite sure how many people can speak it today. The figures used by Cornwall council are 500 advanced speakers and 2,000 with basic knowledge.
Kernewek is undoubtedly having a moment. A podcast called Learn Cornish, Dyski Kernewek – hosted by the Radio 1 DJ Danni Diston – has recently launched on the BBC. The Cornish film-maker Mark Jenkin, who often uses Kernewek in his movies, is also winning fans across the world.
Earlier this month, a mass written in Kernewek was premiered at Truro Cathedral, which called it a “significant moment” for the language.
Loveday Jenkin, a member of the party Mebyon Kernow, which has long campaigned for greater autonomy for Cornwall, attended the mass. On the same day, she also took part in a meeting partly held in Kernewek and used the language during a pleasant evening at the pub. “I see a lot of Cornish speaking in the community, which I didn’t see 50 years ago,” she said.
There are doubters. At a meeting of the council’s community wellbeing, overview and scrutiny committee, Reform UK councillor Sean Smith questioned whether the level of public demand justified the investment at a time when Cornwall faces significant pressure in housing, adult social care, children’s services and economic inequality.
However, the grand bard of Cornwall, Jenefer Lowe, insisted growing the language was crucial. “It’s about a sense of place and identity. It connects you to the place you live in. The language underpins everything.” Lowe said that 15 years ago she probably knew everyone who spoke Kernewek in Cornwall. “Now I don’t – and that is a good sign.”
Will Coleman, of Golden Tree, which leads the Go Cornish learning programme in schools, beamed as he watched children from across Cornwall studying each other’s artwork inspired by the language.
“I knew that if we could get a gang together they would all bounce off each other and inspire each other. I go to these schools and they just cannot get enough of it. They realise there’s this treasure chest being opened up and they’re being invited to rummage around in it and play with a bunch of stuff.
“This kind of event demonstrates clearly that language enriches lives. It brings people together, it’s inclusive, it’s celebratory, it’s forward-looking. What’s not to love?”
