Cornwall's ancient Celtic tongue is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, driven in large part by a new generation of enthusiastic children who are discovering its beauty and connection to their heritage. At the recent Go Cornish Celebration in Truro, nearly 200 schoolchildren gathered to share songs, rhymes, and stories in Kernewek, with seven-year-old Albie from Trewirgie Infants' School in Redruth declaring it "fun" to learn.
Kirsten Maun, who leads the Cornish programme at Albie's school, highlights how learning Kernewek deepens the children's understanding of their identity. While they already study Cornish history, the language helps pupils feel a special connection to being Cornish, she explains. The event coincided with Cornwall Council finalising its 10-year strategy to make Kernewek a "thriving, forever language – widely spoken, seen and heard in everyday life in Cornwall".
The council's ambitious plan includes several key objectives: ensuring every child leaves primary school with a basic grasp of Cornish, establishing the region's first bilingual school, and integrating Kernewek into civic spaces. This could see bilingual road signs, registration of marriages and births in Cornish, and public service media in the language. Council leader Leigh Frost draws parallels with the success of Welsh (Cymraeg) and expresses a similar ambition for Kernewek.
January saw Kernewek achieve significant recognition when it was officially placed under part three of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, granting enhanced protection and status alongside other Celtic languages in the UK. Despite this elevated status, the strategy operates on a relatively modest annual budget of £170,000. Frost links the promotion of Kernewek to Cornwall's campaign to be recognised as the fifth nation of the UK, arguing that this would unlock crucial additional funding.
Historically, Kernewek was believed to have died out as a living language in the late 18th century. However, it experienced a revival in the 20th and 21st centuries, largely driven by dedicated volunteers rather than official bodies. Cornwall Council estimates around 500 advanced speakers and 2,000 with basic knowledge of Kernewek. The language's growing prominence is further evidenced by new initiatives such as the BBC podcast hosted by Radio 1 DJ Danni Diston and its use in films by acclaimed Cornish director Mark Jenkin. This month, Truro Cathedral hosted the premiere of a mass written entirely in Kernewek, marking another significant cultural milestone.