I confuse and amuse my non Cornish friends when the odd word from my youth pops out. I have stayed connected with Cornwall all my life and one of my proudest moments was being initiated as a Cornish Bard.

The Bards of Gorsedh Kernow

The bards of Gorsedh Kernow, swear allegiance to Cornwall as a Celtic nation, helping to maintain the spirit of Cornwall, its Cornish language, literature, art, music and sport.

I am honoured to have been given the official Cornish Bard name of:

MORLADER PENSANS (Penzance Pirate)

The tradition of preserving Celtic culture through the spoken word stretches back to the story tellers – the Bards of ancient Celtic countries. My thanks to the Bowgie Inn for a fantastic summary – I’ve selected a few here:

Dreckly

This means that something will be done directly. However, doing something ‘dreckly’ can take ages – there’s no specified time limit. What could be done today will probably be done tomorrow.

Proper Job

Only the Cornish can do a ‘proper job’ properly, especially if it involves lots of heavy lifting and a pint of cider. Proper job is perfect!

‘ Ansom

Everything and everyone can be ‘ansom… Or proper ‘ansom if they are lucky. From an ‘ansom meal to an ‘ansom car. ‘Ansom is a word that the Cornish use to describe something they like on a daily basis.

14 Cornish Words and Phrases You Need to Know

Bards need to live to a great age!

There are so many Cornish stories, songs and traditions to pass on that I need to LIVE TO BE 100 YEARS OLD.

It’s a virtuous circle ↻

Sharing your heritage brings you meaningful activity and connects you with people across generations. It gives you purpose, keeps you mentally fit and spiritually energised; all of which contribute to a long and happy life.

Do you have a favourite Cornish word or phrase?

Please share them with me!