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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

L

  

Click above to compare number with a source.

Dialect Meaning Source Term Cornish Comment Date
Labbat. The ear. 'I'll pull your labbats.' An inferior labourer to attend others          
Lace. A measure of land eighteen feet square          
Lace.Lacing. To thrash. To beat. Beating          
Lace-ups. Laced boots          
Lafs. Laths          
Laften. Made of laths          
Lag. Lagged. To bedraggle. Plaster in mud          
Laidin. Arm-in-arm          
Laity Dairy          
Laker.Laky.Laking Leaky. Leaking. Streaming          
Lambs-tails The willow blossom          
Lambswool. A drink made of hot milk, eggs, sugar and nut meg          
Lampits Limpets          
Lampsheer. Weak. Poorly          
Lanch. Launch (boat)          
Lank. Landy. Loose. Overgrown. Long. Thin          
Lap To beat          
Lap Wet. Muddy clothing left around the house          
Lappior. A dancer. A miner who processes left-over ores          
Larn. Larning Learn. Learning          
Larrup Sweet as larrup. Also to wallop, to beat          
Lask A thick strip of fish (used as bait)          
Lasking. Keeping close into last          
Lash. Lashing To pour. 'Lashing with rain'          
Lashings In abundance          
Lather. Lafher To beat (leather). Wallop          
Latten. Lattice. Tin Tinware          
Lauddydore Snobbish          
Launder. Guttering to carry away water          
Lunch. To lurch          
Laurer. Laurel          
Leary. Hungry. Faint and weak from hunger          
Lease To pick stones off the land. To gather. Glean          
Lease. Laas last          
Lease-cattle Cattle not yet turned to fatten. Milkless cows          
leasing stones Small stones gathered from the land          
Leat A small stream or river (Mill leat)          
Leatherwing The bat          
Leave. let. 'Leave me go'          
Lebm. Eleven          
Leggas Legs          
Lam. Lamb Limb          
Lem An imp. Rogue          
Lem Feature. 'His face is his best lem'          
Lemon-plant The scented verbena          
Lempots Limpots          
Len. Lene. Lenda          
Lentern Lintel          
Lent-illy The daffodil          
Lerrup. Larrup. Lerrups. A blow. To thrash. Rags. Pieces          
Let. To hinder. Hindrance          
Letch-up-with To take up with a person. Approve. Overtake          
Letterpooch. Letterputch. Untidy person. Also a kind of dance          
Levan. Leaven. Fermented dough used in barley bread instead of yeast          
Lev. Liv To allow. Permit. Let          
Level. An adit (mining term)          
Lew. Lewth Sheltered place          
Liard. Liar          
Lichway The wayby which a corspe is carried to church          
Lick. Licky pie. A leek. Pie made of leeks          
Lick A scrape. A hurried wipe-over          
Lick-and-a-promise. Carelessly done. Finish off quickly          
Licker A great licker - something large. Outsize          
Lidden. An old tale. Repetition of abuse          
Lie To subside. Beaten down          
Liggan Seaweed          
Lightin' Alight          
Lights The lungs          
Likely Tail. Well-formed          
Likes. Possibility. Probability. 'Any likes of their coming?'          
Like-a-thing. As it were. As you may say          
Likeness taaker. A Photographer          
Lillies Cultivated daffodils and narcissus          
Limb. Lemb. A young brat - impish person. 'A regular lemb'          
Lime-ash. A sort of cement used for cottage flooring          
Lime-kill Lime-kiln          
Lincing. Linching. A severe thrashing          
Line Having me on a line - Jokeing. Leg - pulling          
Linhay. Linney A shed with a roof but no sides          
Ling. Ling-on Heather. To hold on - "Ling on to'          
Linuth Kidney          
Linuth-duff. Kidney pudding          
Lipsey. Lisp. 'She talks lipsey'          
Listing. The selvedge of flannel. Coloured strips on blanket.          
Listing. Aching. Painful          
Lisamoo. Lizzamoo. Cow parsnip          
Lew. Lewth Sheltered place. 'Lewth of the cairn'          
Littlemouth. A game of bat and ball. A sort of rounders          
Loady-apple. A double apple          
Loagy (also lurgy) Dull. Show. Heavy in gaiy. Lazy          
Lobb To wean a calf          
Locust. A sweet made of treacle          
Lodger A vessel moored in lake is 'out in the lodger'          
Loff. Laugh          
Log To rock. To move to and fro          
Logan rock. A rock that can be rocked          
Long. Belong. Along          
.Long-crippled. An adder. Viper. Snake. Lizard          
Long-gog Greyhound          
Longful A very long time          
Longstone Standing rock or menhire          
Loo. Looth See Lew. Sheltered          
Looch. Louch Short straw from thrashing. Chaff          
Lookiing Expecting          
Louster. Loustering To work hard. To labour          
Loustering work Hard, heavy work          
Lout Workshy, useless person          
Love-entangle. The flannel flower          
Lubber-cock. Lubber-headed fool. Turkey cock. Also term of contempt. Simpleton          
Lucky bone. Knucklebone of leg of mutton, used as a charm          
Luer. Night mist          
Lug. A worm found in sea sand          
Lugg. Grass and weeds found in corn          
Lugger A strong male person          
Lump To put up with. "If you don't like it you can lump it'          
Lunge First contact with unbroken horse or pony          
LURRY A large amount. i.e. I've got a lurry of dishes to do.

T. Knight

    

Troon

  
Lush Tipsy. Also flush          
Lute-strings. Lustrine. Glossy silk          
Lytherva. A place for letters          
Lyners Small bundles of reed