Enregistering Nationhood

Abstract

This chapter examines the works of the Cornish author Alan M. Kent, focussing on his use of the dialect which he calls “Cornu-English” by analogy with terms such as “Hiberno-English” or “Irish English.” Before turning to Kent’s work, I give a brief account of the social, economic and geographical characteristics of Cornwall and the way it is perceived by the rest of Britain (especially England). I then consider the relationship between this dialect of English (more commonly referred to as Anglo-Cornish) and the older, Celtic language of this county, Cornish, before going on to discuss recent sociolinguistic research on Anglo-Cornish. Such research demonstrates that, whilst the general perception of Cornwall is that of an isolated, rural area dominated by farming and fishing, and the dialect of the area is perceived as old-fashioned, rural and uneducated, local speakers who identify with Cornwall use features of Anglo-Cornish to assert this identity and to index authenticity. I then turn to Kent’s poetry, novels and academic writing to show how he uses dialect in order to assert the distinctness of Cornwall and to reflect a modern Cornish identity which negates the rural stereotype. I argue that Kent’s prolific output of novels, poetry and drama both reflects and plays an active part in the enregisterment of Anglo-Cornish/Cornu-English as the language of a distinct and vibrant part of the United Kingdom

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