William Bodinar 1776

Letter to Barrington

Bluth vee ewe try egence a pemp.Theara vee dean Bodjack an poscas (puscas added underneath). Me rig deskey Cornoack termen me vee mawe. Me vee demore gen seara vee a pemp dean moy en cock. Me rig scantlower clowes eden ger Sowsnack cowes en cock rag sythen ware Bar. Na rig a vee Biscath gwellas lever Cornoack. Me deskey Cornoack moas da maor gen tees coath. Na ges moye vel pager po pemp en dreav nye ell clapia Cornick (?or Cornoack) leben, poble coath pager egence blouth. Cornoack ewe oll neceaves gen poble younk.

Bodiner’s own translation: My age is three score and five. I am a poor fisher man. I learnt Cornish when I was a Boy. I have Ben to sea with my father and five other men in the Boat and have not heard one word of English speak in the Boat for a week togeather. I never saw a Cornish Book. I larnd Cornish going to sea with old men. There is not more than four or five in our town can talk Cornish now [,] old people four score years old. Cornish is all forgot with young people.

image of original text
Lost Your Tongue
William Bodinar's Letter (1 of 2)
3rd July 1776
By kind permission of the Society of Antiquaries, London

OC Vol III No 7 Summer 1940 also JRIC (photo of original)

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