Re: Breton, Cornish & French

"John Briggs" <john.briggs4@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:59tqj.2590$v04.2221@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Chess One wrote:
>> "Bob Jones" <bobj@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>> news:RFogj.434$421.325@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>>
>>> From "The Story of the Cornish Language" by Peter Berresford Ellis
>>> (Tor Mark Press, Redruth):
>>
>> Ere! That's where I was born, ansome, in Reys Druith.
>
> Although "Redruth" is "rid" ('ford') + "ruth" ('red').

Could be! Although Red could be Reys, and Druth be Druid. Probably the 
answer lies up there on Carn Brea, itself the head of a giant [saetan] no?

Naturally the stuff that pours out at the coast at Nancekuke is red, and 
that is about directly downriver, and would be tin deposit. For all 
practical evidence you may have it. If so, this word RID is incor****ated 
into A. Sax, which also spells it RED, with some several meanings of to
get 
rid of, and flush away.

It is interesting to also note the name of Stratford; is the 'Strat' A.
Sax 
or Latinate?

in A. Sax it means muddy ~ muddy crossing
and in Latin [f. Strata] a paved or metalled road

then there is the ford business, which is from Fford, and Welsh for river
or 
stream crossing.

Then this Ellis fellow, a good Cornish name. 'Eels"? [Chaucer] who also
used 
Elle with the same meaning. Lest it is A. Sax by origin or incor****ation;-

ELLES: Else; otherwise

   Yet I have a morsel for thy toth,
    And ellis I were to blame.

        //MS Cantab Ff. v. 48, f. 50.

Stems with El~ and Ell also refer to Alder and Elm trees, as well to the 
semitic name of god.

The question with all references is which is true? And what was
universally 
so? And to what level of certainty is it? Assertion of what is true with 
aught else being perhaps a sign that none of those questions can be 
answered, and which perhaps describes the range of inquiry of those who 
assert them.

And some answer, or contra-proposal, is proposed by John Fowles, who had a

Cornish mother, who preferred to name this language Anglo Celtic, rather 
than Anglo Saxon. It is a very difficult cusp to investigate, it being the

very mark of early written records overlapping with oral tradtion.

The thing about Cornwall being that is was highly resistant to Anglo
Saxon, 
whereas, was A. Sax resistant to its p-Celtic language neighbours - 
seemingly not, and unless some exception can be established why not, which

would itself be unusual in the world, then the language we know speak
seems 
to be a very permeable once, admitting many, so to speak.


Phil Innes / Ynys


> -- 
> John Briggs
>
>