AN INTROD UCTION » BRETO N GRAMMAR D E SIG NED C H I EFLY FO R T H OSE CE LTS AND OT H E RS I N GRE AT BRITA I N WHO D E IRE A IT ERARY A C UA I NTA NCE S L Q , T HRO UGH THE E NG I H A NGUA GE WIT H L S L , T H E I R R E LATIVE S A ND NE IGH BO URS I N LITTLE BRITA I N P E CY T E J. R R ASU RE ’ ’ M ember of M e Council of {be Cormsfi - Cellzc S ociety 456W R M R EN : W S UR RE LL N CA A TH . P SO M D CCCCIII . P R E F A C E . TH E principa l obj e ct wh ich influe nce d the write r i n — bringing o ut th is sm all vo l um e was a n e e d adm itte d to e xist by n o t a fe w co mpe te nt to fo rm a n O pini o n f o r s o m e sim ple e xp o siti o n i n E nglish o f th e Gramm ar o f h e o a ua e wh h wo u be o f e v e to t e Br t n L ng g , ic ld s r ic th at large a n d rapidly gro wing se cti o n o f th e British race which de sire s a n acqua inta nce with th e lite rature a n d l a nguage o f the ir Arm o rica n re l ati ve s in Little a Of h e o a o e ab e o o o h a Brit i n . t is s cti n c nsid r l pr p rti n ve be e n de te rre d by the ir i mpe rfe ct kn o wl e dge o f th e third h An d la nguage ithe rt o e sse nti a l to such a cqua inta nce . th is d e finiti o n o f its sco pe m ay be sa id to de t e rm in e th e ‘ ’ m o f S h e e o f ue e f o r th e w e m a e li its its p r infl nc , rit r k s n o pre te nce to h ave c o m pile d a tre atise by the m aste ry o f wh h the o o u be u e u o him ic , tyr c ld j stifi d i n s pp sing se lf fully e quippe d f o r th e pu rpo se o f s ust aining a co n ve a o th e e o a ua w a h rs ti n in Br t n l ng ge . It ill r t e r se e k — to d e m o nstrate by r u le a n d p a radigm m a ny o f the ' fo rm e r stra nge ly fa m ili a r o n t/zz s side o f the Ch a n ne l — th e high de gre e o f e xce lle nce att a in e d by th is a ncie nt o ue a n d a h u e to e t o a n d h a t ng , its f it f ln ss its C l ic rigin ; t t to o e e bo h o m e e o a , d spit t its c pl t is l ti o n fro m its co n e n e rs G e a a as we as th e e e ff g in r t Brit in , ll r pr ssi ve e o rts ut o h o m m e to me e a n d e to p f rt fr ti ti , dir ctly indir ctly , e ve h a ua e o f ve e e e d pri t is l ng g its ry xist nc . Th at the go ve rn m e nt o f a co u ntry wh ich ad o pts as 6 PREFACE . e mbo h h e o a a a o the m o o dying its ig st p litic l spir ti ns tt , ‘ ’ be E ua a n d a e ho u at Li rty , q lity , Fr t rnity , s ld the be ginning o f th is twe ntie th ce ntu ry be co mpassing the e xtincti o n o f a l a nguage ve rn acul ar to s o me two m o o f b ave a n d m o e vo e e to illi ns its r st st d t d citiz ns is , the m o e h a - um a e o a a r ppily circ st nc d Brit n , str nge ly a n o m alistic p o siti o n ! To find a p aralle l to such a n arbitrary a n d aut o cra tic m e asu re as th at issue d by the e h e o f S ua Affa a n d a e Se Fr nc Minist r pirit l irs , d t d p e mbe 2 th 1 0 2 whe e b o ve o n e m o e o t r 9 , 9 ( r y r illi n Br t n ' pe o ple are de pri ve d o f all e fle cti ve re l i gi o u s i nstructi o n by the insiste nce th at such instructi o n be gi ve n in e h on l h a n e e a f o r u s G e a Fr nc y), it is ppily c ss ry i n r t Brita in to go as f ar back as the tim e o f th e Re fo rm a ti o n ; wh e n the p arti ally- u nd e rst o o d Latin se r vice bo o was w h a w o m the o h h u h o n k it dr n fr C rnis C rc , the e xce lle nt ple a th a t all p ublic wo rsh ip sho uld be — ‘ o ffe re d in acco rd a nce with Ap o st o lic pre ce pt i n a — kn o wn t o ngue at th e sam e tim e w ith th e ut m o st i n ' co nse que nce the auth o ritie s i mpo se d a n E ng lz sfz s e r vice bo o h a o n e wo o f wh h was e b e to th e k , rdly rd ic int lligi l C o rnish pe Ople ! Th at pri vile ge wh ich th e We lsh we re p o we rful e n o ugh to se c u re to th e mse lve s by a u la E ab h xi h a e h e . t e st t t e w ( v . liz t ; xiii v C rl s o h o n th e e o o f he A o h e e o n C rnis , p titi n t ir ngl p il g ntry ( c omme rci a l o u ro/z a ri ah / as we as o n a o u gr ndsp p V , ll cc nt M h o f he e a ve m a u mbe o . a t e e o t ir r l ti ly s ll n rs , l st y Br t n e e a e the a e o f he o h o u fo r pe o pl sc p f t t ir C rnis c sins , ' / f a m p roxz m us a rde t Uc a leg on ’ Po lwhe le s L te rature rn wa . p . 4 i of Co ll PREFACE . 7 a o o w h Th e ge ne sis o f th is little wo rk is s f ll s . Wit b e a e a e be th e w e o bu e the o j ct lr dy d scri d , rit r c ntri t d m o nth by m o nth a se ri e s o f p a pe rs to th e Ce ltic Ass o ’ ’ i n s o a Celtz a a n d h av h e a o m e ve ciat o rg n , ing rd s ry e e o o f a e a o h e was e o u a e kind xpr ssi ns ppr ci ti n , nc r g d the re by to h o pe th at with th e a dditi o n o f o the r re le va m a e he e a e m h e ve e t h h e u r nt tt r , t s p p rs ig t s r y ig r p b o o o m p o se if printe d i n k f r .