Here’s
an old Cornish tongue twister:
Eus
keus? Eus po nag eus? Is there any cheese? Is there or
isn’t there?
Mors
eus keus, dro keus. If there is any cheese, bring
some cheese.
Po
nag eus keus, dro peth eus. If there isn’t any cheese, bring
what there is.
And
here’s a bit of “The Pilchard Curing Rhyme” by John Boson, written in the first
quarter of the 18th century, containing plenty of quantities. It is
in the original spelling (see below for SWFLt transcription and translation of
some words and phrases):
Ma Conna ve war Hern gen Cock, ha
Rüz,
Kymerez en Zanz
Garrack Glas en Küz
Bo the’w an Coocoe devethes Trea
Durt Moar,
Teez-Porth, Dega, Dega, Creea
Ha Kenifer Bennen ogaz E
Teen,
Gen Kawal, ha Tri Kanz Hern, war e Kein.
Tha Gweel
Baracadoes en Kenifer
Chy
Gen Gannow leaz, Hern, Hern, Holan
muy
Path’ens salles dah,
idden miz warbar
Prez eu tha squatchia man, ha
Tedna kar
Udg’ hedda, Gully glaneth en
Dower sal
E vedn Ri Hanno Dah Tha Muzzi ol
Gorra spledn en
Ballier, Pedn ha Teen,
Gobar ha Tra broaz, Enz Vartshants feen
Meero why rag
Gwethan heer Tarthack Trooz
Gorra war
hedda, Minow pemp Canz powz
Try termen en Dyth , meero why Dotha,
Rag Hanter Meiz …
ha
keniver benyn… and
every woman
ha
trei cans hern, and
three hundred pilchards
en
keniver chei in
every house
gen
gannow lies, with many
voices (mouths)
Hern,
hern – holan moy Pilchards,
pilchards – more salt
üdn mis warbar one
month altogether
mosy
oll all
girls
gwedhen
hir terdhek troos a log thirteen
feet long
menow
pemp cans poos stones of five
hundredweight
trei termin en deth three
times in a day
Rag
hanter mis for half
a month
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