Cornish

American  

[kawr-nish] / ˈkɔr nɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, England, its inhabitants, or the Cornish language.

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noun

1. the Celtic language of Cornwall, extinct since c1800.

2. one of an English breed of chickens raised chiefly for crossing with other breeds to produce roasters.

Cornish British  

/ ˈkɔːnɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, its inhabitants, their former language, or their present-day dialect of English

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noun

1. a former language of Cornwall, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family and closely related to Breton: extinct by 1800

2. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Cornwall

Etymology

Origin of Cornish

1350–1400; late Middle English, apparently syncopated variant of Middle English Cornwelisse. See Cornwall, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

When I read this I laughed, I thought 'how Cornish'.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

He adds that Pachuca and Real del Monte still have shops selling pasties, or pastes as they are known in Mexico, with Cornish flags visible in the most traditional stores in Real del Monte.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

In the late 1850s, before Association Football rules had been decided back in England, Cornish native and mining magnate Frank Rule set up a cricket team in Pachuca.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Pachuca welcomed their first Mexican player to the squad in 1908, with David Islas invited to join the side by the son of a Cornish miner from St Blazey named Alf Crowle.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

It’s all right,” he said, helping himself to a Cornish pasty, while Mrs. Weasley looked stern, “they’re all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn’t hard.”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling