Standard Written Form
As with many smaller languages around the
world, Cornish has more than one spelling system in use.
Put simply, the written sources we have span several centuries
and reflect different periods in the life of the language. In
reviving Cornish, spelling systems were used at various times which
reflected different views on how we should best use this
inheritance to take Cornish forward into the future. Systems were
either based on particular target dates in the history of the
language or sought to regularise the relationship between spelling
and pronunciation.
While the existence of different forms was a tribute to the
vibrancy of the language movement, given a small language base it
also proved a barrier to development, particularly in education and
public life. As with many other small languages, an increase
in public use of the language following official recognition meant
that the problem needed to be addressed.
The Cornish Language Partnership therefore established a process
to which all could contribute their ideas and involving external
expertise in the shape of a Commission of eminent language
planners, who brought experience from other language communities to
the discussion.
A conference held in September 2006 examined the basis of the
different forms and the papers from this can be accessed on this
site. Another conference took place in October 2007 at which the
Commission presented their findings and recommended a consensus
approach for establishing the Standard Written Forum, instead of
choosing one of the existing forms. The Commission's statement, as
presented at the conference, can be downloaded in full below.
The Commission recommended the setting up of a user group to
undertake the detailed work, headed by Dr Trond Trosterud. This
group met several times and an agreement on a Standard Written Form
was reached. The agreement was translated into a specification
document by Ben Bruch and Albert Bock, which can be downloaded
below or requested in hard copy. This was ratified by the
Partnership on 9th May 2008.
The Standard Form is primarily for official use and for formal
education and individuals will certainly continue to use the forms
with which they are most comfortable in private life. The decision
will, however, allow greater progress to be made in the development
of the use of Cornish in public life. A review will be held in
2013, at which time it will be possible to evaluate progress over
the intervening five years.
SWF
Glossary,
SWF Glossary
with Traditional Graphs,
SWF Glossary
- Pronunciation Guide,
SWF Glossary
Comment Form,
Variants and
Side Forms in the SWF,
Final SWF
Specification,
Emendations
to the Specification,
Ad Hoc Group
Statement 19 12 07,
Ad-Hoc Group
Statement 21 11 07,
Commission
Statement 14th October 2007,
Summary LWG
meeting July 07
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