Royal Institute of Cornwall. Truro. 1871-3
Communicated to the Spring Meeting, May 18, 1872, by WILLIAM DORY HENWOOD, F.R.S., F.G.S., Vice-President of the Institution.
WHILE examining the rocks in various parts of Ireland it was observed that the Irish-speaking people understood many of the Cornish miners' terms and names, although their pronunciation of them was somewhat different. This opinion was confirmed and strengthened by reading a late publication entitled "Metalliferous Deposits and Subterranean Temperature," by W. J. Henwood, F.R.S., &c., &c.; in which the similarity of the Cornish and Irish words was strikingly apparent. In consequence of this, and after a correspondence with the learned author of that work, I am emboldened to lay before the society the following Paper. I must, however, premise that my knowledge of the Irish is very limited, and that I would not presume on my own authority to attempt a comparison of the words in the different dialects of Cornish and Irish, were it not for the assistance which has been afforded me by my friend, the Rev. W. Kilbride, A.B., Vicar of Aran, Galway; who has long studied the latter.
Irish words, when adopted into or pronounced in English, have been greatly altered, and in many ways corrupted; the transformation, in some cases, being so great that the words are scarcely recognizable. These corruptions and extraordinary changes are to be met with in a variety of cases, which need not now be mentioned, as those wishing for further information may be referred to that interesting work: "Irish Names of Places," by P. W. Joyce, LL.D., M.R.I.A., &c.
It must Also be remembered, in an investigation of this kind, that many Cornish and Irish names and terms are chiefly derived from traditional pronunciation; also, that local technical terms are often difficult to deal with and obscure in their derivations, for even in some parts of Ireland there are terms used, which are entirely unknown in other parts of that island. Names too and appellations are often imposed, not from their fitness or descriptive appropriateness, as often they are devoid of this; a word, an exclamation, an ironical expression, or some such, may give rise to a term; consequently sometimes it is impossible to render the meaning in accordance with the original intention. Many Philologists of the present day have agreed, that the European tongues for the most part belong to one great family called the Aryan which embraces Greek, Latin, German, Celtic, &c., with their several sub-divisions or dialects. To these languages they apply the term sister-tongues, which supposes some parent language now extinct from which they are derived; many words in these different languages being cognate, although they may not be derived one from the other.
To me it appears, from all I can glean upon the subject, that one important element in the investigation has, till within the last few years, been overlooked, if not contemptuously cast aside, namely, the Irish Language, which, if thoroughly examined, would be found, not only of importance, but also of essential service, in elucidating the mystery of the probable relations of the different members of the Aryan family. Any further remarks on this highly interesting topic would, however, be out of place in a paper devoted to a minor consideration.
The accompanying Glossary was thus formed:- at the first I was supplied with a list of terms by Mr. Henwood; this I supplemented from the Glossary at the end of Pryce's valuable work. Subsequently all words apparently Celtic were compared with existing and obsolete Irish terms, taken from every source to which we had access. To some words evidently Cornish, we could attach no likely r leaning; these therefore are omitted. Of some of those given, the explanation may be considered inapplicable; some of these, however, when explained from the Irish have a Pictet, Ebel, Nigra, &c., are now investigating this subject abroad, while at home we have Crowe, Whitley Stokes, O'Mahony, and other members of the Royal Irish Academy, also engaged in it.
The old spelling, as given by Pryce, and the modern forms of the words, are often very different; Pryce therefore is an invaluable assistant in such an investigation.
ASTEL. According to Pryce synonymous with stull, Irish sdiall, a plank or beam.
ASTYLLEN. A small ward or stoppage in an adit, to prevent the full passage of the water; Irish eas or os and tuilleadh. Eas or os is an old word for “water," while tuilleadh means "to flow."
ATTAL; ATTLE; ADAL; ADDAL. Refuse or " deads." There is the Irish word adhal, which signifies evil (bad), and there is the word aithla, signifying a rag, or anything worthless.
BAL. A place where a number of people meet together in spalling or sorting ore; similar to “bal," to gather, to heap up. From the same root is Baile, a town, where a number of people live together.
BEU-HESLE. Beo, living; and heyle, or soil, an orifice or opening, such as the eye. This derivation would explain the modern expression, "taking the eyes out of a mine"; that is, taking all the rich portions out of it.
BOTTOM IN FORK. When all the bottoms are unwatered. This may be a combination of a Celtic and an English word; as fort thuidh in Irish (pronounced forkey) is anything that has lost its sap or moisture. Originally it only applied to a substance in which holes were bored to form outlets through which the moisture would escape.
BUCKING; BUCKED ORE. Pettus, in his Fleta Minor, says the term originally signified "washing or wet-stamping ores." It therefore seems to be allied to the word bog, to stir up or soften. In Ireland they say Boadhnatalamhna, breaking by stirring the land. Bogadh is also used when the sea is agitated, or a storm is raised.
BURROWS. Heaps of attals, deads, or earth. This evidently is similar to borradh (pronounced burrow), to increase or grow large; as the heaps of deads or attal (burrows) are always increasing. The word is commonly applied to trees when budding.
CAL; GAL. See Gal.
COCKLE. Stroll.- Pryce states that Cockle, in Cornish, means a weed. In Irish there is a similar word cogal, a weed resembling wheat. Hence the term, as cockle may be mistaken for tin ore, while in reality it is only a weed, or useless, to the miner.
COFER. Cofar or Ropher (Cornish) a chest. Irish, cofra, a chest. This latter word is now nearly obsolete.
COMN. Old open workings. There is the Irish word cabhan (pronouncedcavaun), which means a hollow. There is also the word cobhan (pro-nounced cowan), a coffer.
COSTEAN. To trace or find tin. Probably similar to cos (pronounced cuss) foot, or the bottom of anything, and Stan, tin. As we now say - go to the bottom of it," if we want to search out anything.
CUARE; QUARE; QUAREY. Pryce considers this to be the Cornish for a quarry of stones, a corruption from quares, joints. There are somewhat similar terms in Ireland; as a Connaughtman will say “there is no quarry " in a rock mass without joints. -Coin, plural cores, is an old term used by the famous Irish mason, Goban Saor. -Cuir, the verb, is, to place, to put, to build. Cairthe (pronounced caire) is a heap of stones or anything in layers. The French for quarry is carriere, from carrer to square, which equals the Latin quadrare.
DISA. The Lord of the soil's part of the ore raised-evidently similar to duais, a right, a due, a prince, a lord, Dizzue;
DYHA. Probably from a similar root as that of the word duais
DOAR; OAR. Probably similar to odhar (pronounced ower), virgin soil. According to Pryce, oar or ore is derived from doar, earth. Dubh-ar is black earth or soil.
DOL. Similar to the Irish dail, a divide, a share.
DURNS; DORN. Wooden frames to support weak ground in an adit. Probably similar to dion, to protect; as the durns protect the miners from danger while passing through the adit. Or it might have a connection with the Irish dorn, a fist.
ELVAN; HELVAN. Similar to el or oil, rock, and ban, white; the b changing into v on account of its position. The name evidently is derived from the white smooth weathering peculiar to Elvanyte and all other felsitie rocks, more especially when compared with the dark rough weathering of granite masses.
FLOCAN; FLOOCAN. Similar to fiuchan, a soft oozy, or miry moist substance, which is derived from the verb fiuch, to wet, to moisten.
FOGS. A forge or blowing house for smelting tin; Irish fogaoth, a small wind, a draught.
FORCQDE; FORK. See Bottom in fork.
GAD. Now used in Cornwall to signify a wedge; this however seems to be a corruption of the word, as in Ireland gad means a wire, or rope, of osiers or similar materials, used by smiths and quarrymen as handles for the wedge, to preserve their hands from being struck. Many of the ancient stone and bronze implements seem to have had "gads" for handles.
GAL; CAL; KAL. A whitish yellowish color, like that of cream.
GLIS. A shining black or brown mineral. Irish glis or glus, glittering.
GREUT; GRIT. Irish groid or gruid, grains.
GROCAN; GROWAN. Similar to grothan (pronounced growan), anything in small lumps or grains formed in a mass; its root being Broth (pronounced groh) curds. " Tasenagrothan " is a common Irish expression for any substance of the character of curds or small lumps, that do not amalgamate, but each keeps separate although in the same mass. This word and granite evidently come from the same root, whether it is the Latin granum, the Irish Bran, the Welch graion, or the Cornish gronen, which respectively mean " grain."
GANGUE; Anything worthless. A foolish empty-headed man, in Irish, is called guaga. The term gangue may be connected with this word.
KAL. See Gal.
KAZER. A sieve. A similar word to ceis (pronounced keis), a wicker or basket-work sieve, on which potatoes or other vegetable food is placed to drain.
KERNED. A consolidated heap of mundic or copper ore. Seems to have a connection with care, a heap not naturally formed but of an artificial nature; or it may be allied to carnadh, to pile, to heap up.
KIEVE. A vat or large iron-bound tub in which ore is washed. Evidently similar to the word keeve, a large vessel, sometimes of wood, at other times of wickerwork.
LANDERS. Wooden pipes or troughs used for carrying water over hollows. Seems to be similar to lantaoirs, a partition, anything erected to cut off or divide.
LODE. Might possibly be from load. This word has several meanings, one being anything that supports; as the framework of a roof supports the slates or the thatch. The supports, however, must be part of a whole,as the framework is part of the roof. A mineral vein in connection with its walls would be called a luad.
LOONS. The Irish word is laib, slime or hard mire. Laib may also mean remnants or remains.
MEAT EARTH. This is described by Pryce as "Soil"; the superficial earth fit for agriculture. Meat seems to be similar to the Irish words meith, fat, luxuriant; or masth, soft, luxuriant.
MOOR. Probably similar to muir, a shower, as a "moor of ore" signifies aquantity of ore in a particular part of a lode.
MUN. Any fusible metal. Irish mian, mine or metal.
MUNDICK; MUNDIC. Iron Pyrites. Perhaps similar to mian, metal, and teach or tig, dwelling, house, abode; that is, the house of the mine.
NOCKING; KNOCKING. Breaking up ore. Apparently from a similar root as the Irish word cnag, to break.
ORE; DOAR. See Doar.
PEN; PEDN; PEDNAN. The head of the buddle where tin is dressed. Seem to be similar to clann, a head; as p in Welsh often corresponds to c in Irish. Pryce says the English of the word originally was “a head or promontory."
PODAR. Formerly copper pyrites and all other ores except tin ore; now confined to mundic. Evidently similar to putar, rotten, corrupt; as Pryce gives a similar meaning for podar.
POL-VOZ; POT-VOZ. The wheel pit. Evidently from roots connected with pool a hole, and roith, a wheel. According to Pryce the word formerly was Pol-roz.
POL-STEAN. A tin pit. Irish poul, a hole, and stan, tin; the latter being similar to twin, glittering.
QUERE; QUAREY. See Cuare.
RAF. Irish raf; poor.
RAFFAIN. Of no value. Irish raf, poor; and faon, empty.
RIDAR. A sieve, or riddle. Irish riobhar, and reidhlan, sieve.
SALLER. A stage, or gallery. This may be the Cornish form of the Irish word urlar, a floor.
SCOVAN. A tin lode. Sco from scoth (pronounced sco), choice, best; and van, equalling mian, metal; a tin lode being considered better than all others.
SCOVE. Very rich tinstuff. Irish scovs, champion, much, many, or plenty. A very rich lode is called a “ champion lode."
SHAMMEL; SHAMNEL. A stage of boards used in old coffins before shafts were in common use. The term is now used for any stage of boards. Apparently similar to samh, a rest or bar put across anything.
SLOTTIVE. Dirty, slovenly, muddy. Irish slaodaire, a lazy or dirty person; or sloitire, a villanous person.
SLOVAN. . The ancient name for an adit. May be similar to slighe, way, passage, and vean or vin, summit, or height. These words united would be pronounced sleevin.
SPAL. Irish spol, a piece; or spral; to cut down; or spral, to make small pieces.
SPEL. A similar word is in common use in Ireland, signifying to aid or help; such as “a spel of work."
SQUAT. A bunch in a lode. Irish scarth, finest of anything; or scoth, essence of anything.
STEM; STEMMYN. A day's work. Seems to be a compound word from Sdadh, work; and am, time.
STRIK; STREECK. To let a man down a shaft by a windlass. A word often used in Ireland is stric. If two men are carrying a handbarrow, and one becomes weary, he will say stric, that is, " put it down " or " let it down." Strioc, "let it down," is the imperative of striocaim, "I fall."
TAKLE; TACKLE. Irish tacla; that part of a boat's gear which either elevates or lets down; running gear.
TEEM, Irish taom, to pump out.
TIN, Perhaps from tain, glittering.
TOAS. To clean and dress the wet tin. According to Pryce the word originally signified paste; it therefore is equivalent to the Irish word taos, dough.
TOL; TOLLUR. In Ireland, boundaries in many places are marked by holes bored in the ground; the person who makes the holes being called Tollaire, or Tolloir. Toll means to bore, while poll, equal to tholl, is a hole.
TOMALS. Tom is a bunch, applied' to corn, grass, or trees, when growing densely. Tomavil would express many of these together.
TROIL. A feast. May have a connection with truail or trail, a kneading trough, as the miners could not feast or make merry until after the food was prepared.
TUT; TUT-WORK. By the lump. Apparently similar to toid, whole or entire, i.e., in the lump; the miners bargaining to take out the whole of the ore at one price.
TYE. Similar to tiugh, thick.
VOOGA. Apparently similar to fag, a hollow, or rather matter elevated to form a hollow, such as the hollows between waves of the sea or the hollows in a cloud of smoke. Pryce gives a similar meaning for the Cornish word.
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