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The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

The Organisation for those who love Cornwall.

 "Cuntelleugh an brewyon us gesys na vo kellys travyth"

(Gather up the fragments that are left that nothing be lost.)

The Dialect of Cornwall in Conjunction with Brian Stevens Recorder of Dialect

Dialect words and their meanings.
A WORDS B WORDS C WORDS D WORDS E WORDS F WORDS G WORDS H WORDS I   WORDS J WORDS K WORDS L WORDS M WORDS
N WORDS O WORDS P  WORDS Q WORDS R WORDS S WORDS T WORDS U WORDS V WORDS W WORDS X WORDS Y WORDS Z   WORDS

 

D

  

Click above to compare number with a source.

 Dialect Meaning Source Term Cornish   Comment Date when collected 

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

 

 

 

 
DACENT Decent 20 Common   WC  

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

dama kyogh

 

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

 tos or das

  

 

DASH AN DARRAS:

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

58

Common

dewas an

 

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

Thistles used for feeding guienie pigs or rabbits

56,

Common  

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

When the light is going at sundown

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

 

 

 

1559. 

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

Breton; dramm

 

 

DRANE:

a wasp or bee; apple-drane.  

54

Nature

 

 

 

DRANG: DRAN, DRINGET:

 a narrow passage with gutter or drain.

53

 

 O.E. thrang.

C.S.W. p.73.  

 

DRANJY:

 

 

 

dre an chy, or drang-jy

 

 

DRANICK:

a dogfish. 

53

Fishing

drenak

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