Image: Wikimedia Commons

Cornish

Brythonic Celtic language indigenous to Cornwall

Languagenatural language modern languageQ25289

Also known as Kernewek · Kernuack · Curnoack · Kernowak · Kernowek · Cornish language

Speakers: 600(2011)
2
Sources
1.Stated in Ethnologue
2.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/language/articles/languageinenglandandwales/2013-03-04
View statement on Wikidata ↗
, 0(2011)
1
Sources
1.Stated in Ethnologue
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Subclass of: Southwestern Brythonic
Script: Latin script
Indigenous to: Cornwall
, Isles of Scilly

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Cornish is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Cornish people and their homeland, Cornwall. Along with Welsh and Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, a language once spoken widely across Great Britain. For much of the medieval period Cornish was the main language of Cornwall, until it was gradually pushed westwards by the spread of English. Cornish remained a common community language in parts of Cornwall until the mid-18th century, and there is some evidence for traditional speakers persisting into the 19th century.

Overview

Works in this language

63 linked to Cornish in Wikidata

Show all 63

All data

84 statements · 24% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Language regulatory body: Akademi Kernewek
1
Sources
1.akademikernewek.weebly.com/#
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Wikimedia language code: kw
Native label: Kernowek pronunciation audio: LL-Q25289 (cor)-Gwikor Frank-Kernowek.wav
Kernewek
kernewek
1
Sources
1.github.com/unicode-org/cldr/blob/main/common/main/kw.xml
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Linguistic typology: subject–verb–object
verb–subject–object
V2 word order
nominative–accusative language
fusional language
UNESCO language status: 5 critically endangered
1
Sources
1.Stated in Red Book of Endangered Languagesunesco.org/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-339.htmlRetrieved 2018-06-24
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Ethnologue language status: 9 Reawakening
1
Sources
1.Stated in Ethnologueethnologue.com/language/corRetrieved 2018-06-25
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Country: United Kingdom
1
Sources
1.“ScriptSource - United Kingdom”scriptsource.org/country/GBRetrieved 2023-08-21
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Located in: Cornwall
Historic county: Cornwall
Different from: Cornish English
Has grammatical gender: masculine
feminine
Category for music in this language: Category:Cornish-language music
Replaces: Middle Cornish
Studied by: Cornish studies

On other databases

50 identifiers linking Cornish across the web's reference databases

50.3000, -4.9000OpenStreetMap ↗

Data quality

statements

24%

externally sourced

Source last edited October 7, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). Cornish (Q25289). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/cornish-Q25289