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The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

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

 

R

  

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Dialect Meaning Source Term Cornish Comment Date
Raash Hasty          
Rab.Rabb.Ram Hard gravelly ground. Stone used for road-making          
Rabble-route A noisy mob          
Rabbet et...............  Bother. Confound it. "Odd Rubbet et.'          
Rabbin Robin          
Race. A strand of string (of onions) A row of things          
Radjail. A loose heap of stones such as waste from a quarry          
Rag. Ragging The blowing of the wind before rain. "Ragging for rain"          
Raglen. A fisherman's apron          
Rames Bare bones. A skeleton          
Ramping Mazed Raging. Raging mad          
Ram-cats Tomcats          
Ran A wren          
Ran-dan. Rantan Gadding about. "Always on the ran-dan"          
Randigal A rigmarole. Unconnected story          
Randyvoose. Confusion. Riot. Also a meeting place          
Rannish To feel hungry          
Ranters Early primitive methodists          
Raps Rasp          
Rare. Rear Early          
Rare-mouse The bat          
Raring to go Impatient to be off          
Rash Brittle. Crisp. Rushing into things          
Ratlan Fallow          
Ratlan field A fallow field          
Raw milk New unskimmed milk          
Raw cream. Cream from milk that has not been scalded          
Rawnish Hungry. Ravenous          
Ream. To separate the cream from milk          
Ream. Reem To stretch          
Reamer A skimmer. also a tool for expanding holes          
Reese To beat out corn          
Reese The falling of grain from ears of corn          
Red-roolers A delicious eating apple          
Regrator. An itinerant dealer in poultry. A hawker          
Remlets  Remnants          
Renne or ren Run. Running          
Rescan. Ruskin A small stack or stick of reed          
Retch. Retching To be sick. Vomiting          
Ricks. Corn or hay stacks          
Riders. Circus          
Rid-leg chawk A chough. Choff          
Riffled Roofs damaged by a storm. Unslated. Uncovered          
Rig A frolic. A noise          
Riggle. Riddle To clear or stir up the fin          
Ringle A ringlet          
Rish Rush          
RISM , OR RISSOM (pronouced rizm), a small portion          
Roadling. Roodling Wandering in the mind. Delirious          
Roker A cheat          
Roots Usually applied to turnips or marigolds          
Romancin' Playing heedlessly          
Roodlin' Delirious. Wandering          
Rooge. To push or lift with difficulty          
Ropy Referring to flour that has lost its freshness and has been injured by the damp          
Rory-tory Conspicuously smart or gay. Tawdry          
Rossum Rosin. Resin          
Rooty Turnip          
Rouging.  lifting with difficulty. Great effort          
Roun. Round. Around          
Rounders. Slices of bread. also a ball game          
Round land (to go) To die. To fade away. No longer useful          
Rouse. Rowsse A rattling noise. A bang          
Roust-about. A rough tomboy          
Roving. Raving (mad)          
Rowl. Roll          
Rows. Refuse from ore or black tin          
Rub Rob          
Rubbage or scroff. Rubbish. Refuse          
Rubbing post. A stone pest in field for cattle to rub against          
Ruckle. Truckle  To roll. Push. Trundle          
Ructions. A terrific row. Discord          
Rud. Rid Red          
Rummage Confusion. A disorder. "What a rummage the room is in."          
Ruddick The wooden beam across a cart which acts as a hinge on which it is tilted or tipped          
Ruggy. Rugged. Rubbly          
Rull To roll corn into sheaves ready for the handbinders          
Rouser Large. Something big          
Rumbustious Noisy. Cantankerous          
Rummet Dandruff          
Rumped-up. Drawn together with cold. Also "rumpled up"          
Rumpy. Uneven          
Run A landslip. Landslide          
Runner round towel placed on a roller, usually fixed behind the kitchen door          
Running-wound. A wound from which matter is continually discharging          
Rusking-comb A large-toothed comb          
Ruttlin. Rattling