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

Danni Diston returned to her roots in Cornwall to present the Learn Cornish podcast for BBC Sounds as she explored learning the language with a number of guests.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

It has been deployed in debates ranging from conditions in armed forces housing to the sewerage system of a Cornish hospital.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

John Weedon, director of Cornish distributor Mitchell and Webber, said the firm had received a large number of orders over the past week.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

For the small Cornish village of Cardinham the rain so far this year really has been relentless.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

“That was what he wanted you to think. But he was a Cornish knight, like the rest of them.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White