The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

The Dialect of Cornwall

In Conjunction with Brian Stevens

Recorder of Dialect

DA:

father

54

Common

DAB:

to slap, to strike, "give a dab". To deal out slowly, "dab out the nets".

54

Common

DABBETY FAY:

54

DAFER:

 delicate trifles of lace; 

54

Household

DAFER:

 a large straw mat used to protect a horse's back when carrying furze trusses.

54

Farming

DAFFER:

 furniture, utensils, crockery

58

Household

DAFTER:

 douter: daughter

54

Common

DAG:

 hatchet, small axe.

20, 43

Common

WC

DAGGENS: 

anything plentiful.

54

Common

DAGGING:

 longing for something, "dagging to know"  

54

Common

DAGGING:

 draggling, trailing, weighted down with fruit. 

54

Gardening

O.E. dagian.

DAGGING

Anxious, "dagging to know"

54

Common

W.C,

DAGGY-HOW, daggyow:

dried cod fish. 

53

Fishing

C.S.W. p.71

DAGG:

 measure of tin. 

54

Mining

Blackmore Stannary.

DAGWEL: 

something very bright; "shining like dagwel"

53

Fishing

C.S.W.p.71.

DAINTICAL:

 dainty.

42

Common

 St. Ives.

DEAVE:

 to deafen with noise.

Common

DALVA:

 a quarrel or argument.

43

Common

 St. Just in Penwith

DAM:

choke damp

54

Mining

. 

DAME-KU:

 the jacksnipe.type of bird.

54

Nature

DAMON HERRING:

 the allis shad. (Type of Herring)

53

Fishing

 C.S.W. P.71. J.R.I.C. 1954

DANCE THE PHIBBIE/FEEBY:

 to get a horse whipping.

54

Common

 DANDER: 

scurf (Dandruff)

54

Personal

DANDY: 

light donkey cart; a shay.

54

Common

DANDY DOGS:

 spectre dogs. "The devil and his dogs"

54

 Scots? 

DANDY GO RUSSET:

 yellowed with age, faded clothing.

54

Household

DANDY MAN:

 fancy man; foppish man.

54

Personal

DANE: 

a swimming term.?

54

Fishing

DANE:

"red-haired Dance"

54

Personal

W.C.

DANNIL:

 a lazy fit. 

54

Zennor.

DANTAL:

 fragile, of weak appearance. "a braa dantal looking thing"

54

Personal

DANTALS:

 delicately poised; ready to fall.

43

Common

St. Just.

DANTERS DANT:

 a game of daring.

54

Common

DANVERED:

 faded. See Daver, davver.

54

DAPS, DOPS:

 likeness. "the very daps" (many dialects)

54

Common

 DARK: 

blind.

54

Personal

DAR KEYS: 

a Dorcas society; they made clothes for the poor. Acts ix, 36.

54

Common

DARKS:

 moonlight night suitable for fishing.

54

Common

DARKY STROKE: 

overhand swimming. 

42, 53

Fishing / Common

St. Ives. 

C.S.W. p.71

 DASH,

 tash, tosh: unbound faggot of furze, a bunch. 

54

Common

DASH AN DARRAS:

 the stirrup cup for the parting guest.   darras. Cp. Gaelic "deoch an dorrus".

58

Common

1808.

DASHENED:

 soiled, sullied.

Household

 Lelant.

DATCH:

 to thatch.  Also latch of a door

East Cor. Devon.

DAUGHTERLAW: 

for daughter in law.

DAW BAKE:

 dough bake. Stupid person.

DAVER: 

to fade. Davvered: faded; old and worn of a person. Davver.

DAYBY: 

a young gull (C.S. Murrish) or anything small. 

53

C.S.W. p.72

DAYBERRY:

 the wild gooseberry.

DAY CORE/COOR: 

day shift

DAYNING: 

growing dark? day ending.

DEADS: 

mine refuse, also remnants of a feast.

DEAD TUCK: 

when fish are left to die in seine. 

53

C.S.W. p.72

DEAF ADDER: 

the slow-worm.

DEEF, DEAF:

 wood decayed by dry-rot. Similes: "deaf as an adder, as a haddock."

DEAF NETTLE; BLIND NETTLE:

 the dead nettle. Also hemp grown for rearing of pheasants.

DEEVE NUT, 

deaf nut: a nut without a kernel, or with rotten one. 

DEAL: 

a share, a dole.

DEAL THE BALL: 

in the game of hurling.

DEALSEY;DELSEED: 

seed of fir or pine.

DEEN:

 the end of a level or cross-cut (mining) 

tyn (teen) DEKA,

 DEGA: the tithe. 

53

dega

C.S.W. 

DELBORD: 

the nurse hound. 

53

C.S.W. p.72

DELVING

Enquiring

20

Common

Madron members grandparents

DENNECK:

 red ellick; tub fish. 

53

C.S.W. p.75

DERRICK.: 

a grave-digger, sexton. Famous Tyburn hangman. 

DERRY:

 an exploit, a noisy deed. O.Fr. desori. Cor. deray 

DERRY DIDO: 

an uproar, a row.

DEAPISABLE: 

despicable.

DEVENTION: 

device and invention.

DEVIL'SBIT,BUTTON: 

the Scabious or Sheep's Bit (Jasione)

DEVIL FISH: 

53

see C.S.W. p.72

DEVIL'S SNUFF BOX: 

a puff-ball fungus.

DEVIL'S TONGUE: 

the poppy, both wild and garden.

DEEVIL: 

see EEVIL

DEWMIST: 

drizzle.

DEW SNAIL, DEW WORM: 

a slug. O.E.

DIALOGUE: 

a saying also to converse.

DICELS

56,

N.C.

DICKLY DIZE, DIGLY DIZE: cp. GULDIZE.

 harvest supper; the "rick feast"

 Lammas tide. Also gurty milk given to harvesters.

 54

.

degol deys

W.C

DIDDLE, DEDDLE:

 to tattle, tell tales. Cp. whiddle.

54

Common

DICKY: 

miners' over-jacket of canvas.

54

Mining

DIDDYAN, DIDDYGUY: 

gypsy

54

Common

W.C.

DIDGAN, DINYAN:

a morsel. Anything small; potato, a room. 

54

Common

dyjyn

DIDO: 

a fuss, a row. from old plays? Dido Et Aeneas

54

Common

DIFLAN: 

odds and ends. 

54

W.C., Paul.

DIG, DIGGY: 

to scratch.

54

Common

DIJEY: 

a very small farm 

a dye house. 

59, 42,

 dye-jy

St. Ives,

DILLUE:

 to wash ores in a hair-bottomed sieve.  LUE: sieve, riddle.Cp.

54

Mining

dyleuya/dylewghyd. 

O.C. V p.36

DILLY: 

a light cart; a two wheel water barrow.

54

Common

DILVE: 

see DILLUE.

54

Mining

DIMIXEY

56

Common

DIMSEY, DIMPSEY, DIMMEL, DUMMEL: 

twilight.

54

Common

DING:

 to throw with force. To reiterate "ding into one's ears" Compare

 TING: to tie fast "Tinged to his mother's apron strings". To force payment.

54

DINGER:

 a rogue. 

54

Common

Porthleven.

DINGLY COACH: 

see Jingle.

54

Common

DIDGY, DINKY:

 tiny. Cp. didgan.

54

Common

DIP ONE'S BEEL:

 to drink.

54

Common

DIPPA, DEPPA:

a mall pit; mining, also in fishing boat,  

53

Mining / Fishing

dyppa

C.S.W. p.73

DIPPERS: 

the attendant boats in pilchard seining.  

53

Fishing

C.S.W. p.73

DIPPY: 

cream on a plate into which bread is dipped; melted butter; niflin with buttered sauce.

54

Common

DIPCHICK: 

the dabchick.

54

Common

DIRTY MUSS

Grubby person and ways

20

Personal

WC, Newlyn

DISCOOSE: 

speech.

54

Common

DISH: 

a measure of tin (a gallon; Carew) the mineral lord's dues; the eighth part.

54

Mining

DISH

and dues: mining leases.  

54

Mining

DISH CLOUT

Dish Cloth

20

Household

WC

DISBEHAVE: 

misbehave.

54

Common

DISHED:

 dismayed, suddenly cast down.  

54

Personal

DISH OF TAY:

(too well known)  

54

DISH WASHER:

the water wagtail; as if a tin-streamer, gold-streamers  

54

Mining

DISLE, DICEL, DIESEL: 

a thistle. Milky dicle: the soft leaved thistle.  

54

Nature

DISKNOWLEDGE:

to deny knowledge of. "he didn disknowledge it".  

54

Personal

DITE, DOIT:

a tiny thing. "It's gone every doit".  

54

Common

DIVE, DOVE, DEEVE: 

parts of verb Dive.

54

Common

DIZZERWITCH, DIZZIEWITCH:

a cross-grained person.  

54

Personal

DIZZO, DYSHUE, DIZZUE, DIZZHA: 

ore left behind after cutting away selvedge of lode. The deads could contain valuable metal; if so, it was taken away. Cp. desuetude, also zueing, desueing.

54

Mining

DOANY, DONY, DAWNY: 

damp misty weather.

54

Common

DOANY, DONY, DAWNY: 

Also of corn gone damp.

54

Farming

DOAT FIG:

 the broad-fig. Port. figo douda, 

54

Nature

M.E. figge dote.

DOB, TOB:

lump of turf. Also to throw.  

54

DOBBET, DOBRUT: 

a short dumpy person.  

54

Personal

DOBLE: 

a pudding basin, dough bowl. 

54

Household

See also C.S.W. p.73

DOCIBLE:

of horses, docile.  

54

Farming

DOCITY:

common sense.  

54

DOCK:

the crupper of a saddle.  

54

Common

DOCTOR'S TRAADE: 

medicine.

54

Common

DOCKY DOWN:

ready cash.  

54

Common

DOCY:

charming, neat.

54

Common

DODMAN:

a snail.  

54

Common

DODDLE:

to fondle.  

54

Common

DOG:

to carry, to bear, especially heavy load.  Dog is 2 sing. Imperative.  

54

degy, don.

DOGGA:

 dogfish. 

53

C.S.W. p.73  

DOGGIN

along: plodding.  

54

DOGGLE:

to totter, walk as a small child.  

54

DOG IN DO

Disgruntled

20

Common

WC, Newlyn

DOG KNEE:

a can opener. 

18

.Common

Ludgvan

DOLE, DOOAL:

a tangle. "all in a dole" Also to fold, squeeze, roll up.  

53

Fishing

dol.

 C.S.W. 

DOODA:

 interrupting a speaker. A foolish person.  

54

DOLE, DOOLE, DOLLEY:

 to toll a bell  

54

DOLE:

mine dues to landlord. . 

54

Mining

toll or dol a share

DOLE:

A boundary stone 

54

DOLLICK:

a little woman. Doll Et dim. yk.  

54

Personal

DOPPER: 

fisherman's wollen garment. E. Anglia. 

53

Fishing

C.S.W. p.73

DORYMOUSE, DORGMOUSE:

 the dormouse.  

54

Nature

DORHAWK, DORHOK: 

the night-jar.

54

Nature

dorhok

DORNY:

a crowd. 

54

Common

E.C.

DORSEL, DOSSER:

 a pannier.  

54

Common

DOSSYDOS:

a dog cart. Dos a dos.  

54

Common

DOUBLE DECKER: 

a pie of meat and potatoes with a layer of dough in the middle.

54

Household

DOUT:

 to extinguish.  

54

Common

DOUBLE HORSE: 

riding double, men and women.

54

Common

DOWSTER:

 a fall, a thump.  

54

Common

DOWSE, DOUSE:

to lower sail, put out light. 

53

Fishing

C.S.W.  

DOWN SOUCE, SOURCE: 

sudden fall. "down it come souce" See SOS.

54

DOWST: 

dust, chaff. 

54

Household

DOUSSE PILLOW: 

filled with chaff.

54

Household

DOWSE: 

forked branch of hazel (now metal, Visick) used to indicate underground water.

54

Common

DOWSER: 

a water diviner.

54

Common

DOWLAS:

 coarse linen, from Daoulas in Brittany.  

54

Household

DOVER:

an uproar. "Talkers, no listeners". "Dover to pay and no pitch hot". Etymology dubious.  

54

DOW:

stubborn old women. Dower: dull, spiritless.  

54

Personal

DOXY: 

pleasing, attractive. "doxy little maid".

54

Personal

Mid. Cornwall. 

DOWNSOME:

outright. As Downsource.  

54

Common

DRAA-SACK,

 drazack: stupid person.  

54

Personal

DRABBIT:

for 'Od rot it.  

54

DRAGGLE, DRIGGLE:

to dribble  

54

Common

DRADGE, DREDGE: 

inferior separated ore. See PRILL, HALVANS.

54

Mining

DRAFF:

brewers' grains.  

54

Brewing

DRAFFA: 

disappointment. "thing arising"

54

drehafva 

DRACKED:

beaten about  

54

Common

DRAAZE:

to chase away. "I draazed the flies out."  

54

Common

DRALYER:

trailing stem of plant such as bramble

54

Nature

DRALYER:

  refer to a sweetheart; a follower.  

54

DRAM:

swathe of hay. .  

54

Farming

DRANE:

a wasp or bee; apple-drane.  

54

Nature

DRANG: DRAN, DRINGET:

 a narrow passage with gutter or drain.

53

C.S.W. p.73.  

DRANJY:

DRANICK:

a dogfish. 

53

Fishing

C.S.W. p.74 

DRASHEL:

a flail.  

54

Farming

DREDGE CORN:

 oats and barley sown together. Fr. dragee

54

Farming

DREDGE ORE:

second quality ore mixed with foreign mineral as compared with prills. See halvans.  

54

Mining

DRETHAN, TREATHAN: 

sandy patch, sand bank. 

54

trethan  

C.S.W.

DRESHEL, DREXEL: 

threshold.

54

O.E.

DRIGGOE, DRIGGER: 

lowest of a tier of pumps. 

54

Mining

tryger

DRIBS AND DRABS: 

little enough

54

Common

DRIDLED: 

dwindled. 

54

Common

O.C.v. 239

DRIFT:

open trench across country to cut the lode; also a leat to water-mill.  

54

Mining

DRIFT:

 also a leat to water-mill.  

54

Milling

DRIPPY DROPPY, DRIP DROP:

game played with pins. 

54

Common

O.C.II 7 p.31 and V p.239.  

DRILL:

 iron hoop crook; loop at one end, double crook at the other.  

54

Common

DRILL DROLL: 

bindweed. Convolvulus.

54

Gardening

DRILSY, DRILJY, DRILZEY: 

monotonous tiresome sound. 

54

Common

drylsy, dryljy

DRING: 

a crowd. Dringed up: crowded. Also soiled with mud.

54

DRING: 

Also soiled with mud.

54

DRIPSHON, DRYPJON: 

the last drop.  

54

Common

DRIVELLING:

in game of marbles; playing by throwing at a group of marbles "in the town".  

54

Common

DROLL:

a tale of past or present. Report or statement. 

54

Droll-teller  

Jago

DROOJY, DROOLJY, DRUJY: 

stupid slow person. Adjective, dull unentertaining. 

54

Personal

Breton; drujal "to fool".

DRONE:

a bumble bee. "red tailed drone".  

54

Nature

DROKE:

plough furrow, seed drill, trench, cutting.  Also groove.

53

Farming / Fishing

 trogh

Perran.. C.S.W. p.74 

DROPPER:

(1) a branch when it leaves the lode 

(2) the Fuchsia 

(3) an ear-ring.  

54

1. Mining

2. Gardening

3 Household

DROP CURL:

 a ringlet.  

54

Personal

DROPS:

window blinds.  

54

Household

DROVER:

drift net boat.

53

Fishing

 C.S.W. p.74  

DROXY, DRIXY:

of wood, decayed.  

54

Common

DROUTH, DRYTH: 

drought

54

Common

DROZE:

to mutter; indistinct voice. 

54

Common

tros

DRUM:

to flog.  

54

Common

DRUNDARD:

a marble naturally striped, not painted.  

54

Common

DRUCKLE, TRUCKLE:

to bowl a hoop.  

54

Common

DRUCKSHAR:

a small solid wheel. Truckler.  

54

Common

DRUDGE:

an ox rake.  

54

Farming

DRUDGEONS:

 gloomy stories. "Stop talking drudgens".

54

Common

DRUGGED UP:

 wheel stopped by mud from turning.

54

Common

DRUG:

 a brake shoe of wagon.  

54

Common

tryg

DRULL:

to drivel.  

DRUSE, DRUSY:

a cavity lined with crystals. Druze; Fr. Ger. 

gwrys?  

DUB Et DRING

 shells: periwinkles used as marbles.  

54

Common

DUBBORN, DUBHORN: 

the white winkle.

 O.C. III p.239.

DUBBER:

 flat ended pick used by clay workers.  

54

Mining

DUCK:

To bow.  

54

Ducketting

Bobbing up and down in amiable fashion like ducks

17

Appearance

M.C.

1984

DUDJEL:

young pollack. 

53

Fishing

dojel

 C.S.W.

DUFF:

to strike or nudge on some yielding surface.  

54

Common

DUFFAN:

mullein plant  

54

Gardening

DUFFAN:

a leader of a group; also a hypocrite.  

54

Personal

DUFFAN:

also a hypocrite.  

54

Personal

DUFFING RING:

See dugging.  

54

Game

DUFFLE:

 a patch of dried grass.  

54

Common

DUFFLIN:

a small russet apple.  

54

Gardening

DUFFER:

a packman. "Johnny Fortnight".  

54

Common

DUFFY:

a blind person. An outspoken person. A happy-go-lucky person.  

54

Personal

DUG IN THE BACK: 

the game of "tig"

54

Game

DUGGLE:

parish feast.  Also referring to a quantity of food.  

54

Common

degol, dugol.

DUGGING RING:

a game. 

Game

O.C. VII p.500  

DUKE:

 a tea kettle.  

54

Household

DULE, DOOL:

grief.  

54

Common

M.E. duelle

DUMB:

false, as in dumb-door, a false door. 

54

Common

DUMB:

also Dumb air: dead air in a mine  

54

Mining

DUMMY DOLL:

an effigy  

54

Personal

DUMBLEDORY: 

drumbledrane: the cockchafer

54

Personal

DUMMETS:

 twilight,   

54

DUMMETS:

also a meal like high tea.  

54

DUNDERBOLT:

 stone celt, boiled for rheumatism.  

54

DURGY:

rough low hedge or bank as boundary. 

54

dorge

DURGY:

Also short stout person. from dowrgy or dorgy 

54

dorge

DURN: 

door post, jamb. durns. Frame of timber in a mine.

54

Common

DURN: 

Also frame of timber in a mine.

54

Mining

DUNJY:

of shoes, dirty.  

54

Common

gunjy.

DUSH: 

to soil.  

54

Common

DUMDOLLY:

misshapen marble, wheel, castor, hoop.  

54

Common

DUNDALK, DUNDAWK: 

a pelargonium. After name of first person to grow it?

43

Gardening

St. Just

DRUSHELL

Doorstep

20

Household

WC

DUZZY:

Snuff taker's handkerchief.  

54

Personal

DWALE, DWALDER:

 a grumble. To speak confusedly. 

54

Personal

DYTHE: 

subsoil.

54

Farming