A Directory

How to pronounce Cornish names

A.L.Rowse

Lovely Luxulyan Rhymes with a million, And so does Trevelyan.

Mevagissey rhymes with dizzy, As do Tregonissey and St Issey.* Fowey, of course, goes with buoy Or toy, and not showy. Sheviock should be spoke Shevick And the same for Quethiock.

Penance is not right for Pennance Which echoes the manse, As also Penzance and Kynance, Not a long a as in France. But in Fal and Falmouth the a Between long and short is half-way, Neither as in hall or in hat; Remember that — something between the two (As the Boscawens, i.e. Roscowens, know too).

Everybody knows how to say Looe, But when you come to Loe — Pool, the o is open as in Portloe. In Newquay the accent is on New, An obvious rhyme with St Ewe.

Tywardreath rhymes with death, Not with beneath; neither does Portreath.

People have difficulty with Cotehele — Quite simple: it chimes with heel. Accent is on the second syllable As usual: not at all incredible.

TrebErfoot, Trebgrwith Strand. St Austell, on the other hand, Is hard to get right: the nearest is Borstal. Places like Porthpean and Nanpean Do not rhyme with bean: They are tri-syllabic, like Polbathic. It is even incorrect to say St Stephen When St Stephen's you mean.

People now say Budock-vean, Like seen, but the old way is like see 'n.

Tregrehan is really pronounced Tregrain, Like Tremayne; so too Bosahan; Roche not the French way, But as in cockroach.

St lye does not echo St Ives, but eve, as if it were St Eve.

Biscovey goes with convey Not cavey, like Scotch Donald Tovey. No difficulty with Praze-an-Beeble: It simply means the meadow of the people, In other words, the village green, As in Cargreen, or the pub The Indian Queen.' But many mispronounce Liskeard: Accent on second syllable to rhyme with card.

You might easily go wrong with Lanivet, Or Lantivet: both go with trivet.

So do not make a hash, When you begin at Saltash.

*Cornish s's are really z's.