http://www.thisiscornwall.co.u…..ticle.html

A MAJOR leap forward for the unity and future of the Cornish language was taken by bards at the Gorsedd annual meeting under the leadership of Grand Bard Vanessa Beeman.

By an overwhelming majority and after two decades of debate they adopted the Standard Written Form (SWF) for their ceremonies and correspondence. From the earliest days under Grand Bards Henry Jenner and Morton Nance the 'Unified Form' has been used for the Gorsedd ceremony.

The latest milestone follows the adoption of the SWF "by the Cornish Language Partnership for formal education and public use, together with declarations of support from all the language organisations".

A year ago the bards made a declaration of intent to adopt this after Bards had been given an opportunity to study the agreement. At the County Hall, Truro, on Saturday they supported the Cornish language in its entirety – in all forms – but to use the SWF in all its ceremonies. This would end 20 years of controversy, declared former Grand Bard George Ansell of Gwinear. Its aim was to embed the language in the community. The partnership had agreed a three-year funding package with the government which had taken on responsibility for this from the European Objective fund, with the county council providing 10% of the total in cash and in kind. There had been good attendance for the 'teacher training days' of the Cornish Language Board and all the courses had now been produced on CDs, with audio cassettes also still available.

Many leading bards gave their firm views. Immediate past Grand Bard Rod Lyon of Nancegollan, said "I want to hear Cornish spoken by the Cornish people. We must have one form". Sterling work had been done and he hoped the new decision would be accepted by all. Alastair Quinnell of Bodmin said it must be agreed or they were on the road to destruction. Deputy Grand Bard Mick Paynter of St Ives commented that SWF was "a spelling system with the grammar of Morton Nance." Not one word o the ceremony would be altered in speech – only in spelling written form and they did not want to lose the prize of teaching the language to children. 

"It will put the sign out that we are determined to make it a real life language for generations to come," he added.

Former Grand Bard Ann Trevenen Jenkin of Leedstown – who with her late husband Richard did valuable language work over a half-century emphasised, "we are not throwing out tradition. It is a development, perhaps not perfect, but SWF must be supported". Others stressed the critical importance of the decision in teaching in schools.

Bard Audrey Pool of Hayle, said "our founding fathers would be horrified if this was changed". There should be a postal vote on this by all bards at home and overseas.

This SWF was a written form for public bodies, but Bert Biscoe of Truro replied that the Cornish Gorsedd was perceived around the world as a 'public body' and they should strongly support the resolution. Dr Ken George, however, pointed out that the new form was lacking in linguistic authority and perhaps they should retain the uniform form which was well established and well understood.

Great to see more support of the principle of the SWF.

It's just a shame that people like Ken George, who has done such good work for the language in the past, is ruining his reputation, credibility and image by stubbornly and desperately clinging on to his own self-interests instead of putting the revival first.

The problem with Goky was his childish behaviour and mindless insults, if people have a problem with what people are doing it should still be allowed to be expressed. As long as it's put in a civilised way then I don't see any problem with expressing opinions.

No he is certainly not alone in opposing the SWF, there are aspects of it I don't agree with, but it's the principle of the SWF I'm so strongly defending. Some people just take their disagreement of it too far, resulting in sabotage of that principal, something I will never sit silent in the face of.

To be quite honest I am fed with all of it. If one thing has contributed to my NOT learning Cornish more than I have done is all this nonsense. How can you expect people like me, with no degree in Celtic Studies, Old Welsh or Klingon, to be able to learn a language when every bleddy thing you say is met by howls of "that's not Cornish" or "that's Tudor Cornish", or "that's an anglicism" or on the contrary "that's a purist celticism" and every book you buy is different- EG The New Testament I bought in 2003 and the Book of Cornish Daily Prayer I bought this year- compare the Pater Noster in the two to see what I mean!

Whatever our position, for example I like Caradar's Cornish, it's easier to learn, it's easier to remember how to spell and pronounce and it's not full of anglicisms- okay that's my position- getting back to the point, I think that the Gorseths decision should be respected!!! We should all learn to live by it. Let's face it, most of use English, a language notorious for bizarre spellings and archaisms without thinking about it, let's just get on with it now, ONE AND ALL, for our own language's sake otherwise we will end up losing what gains have been made.

Anyway, I'm off fishing- my a wra mos pesky! … see everyone later!

ONEN HAG OLL!!!!