36A) Mining Terminology and Colloquial Expressions

Description

This glossary of Cornish MinersÕ Terms is taken from William PryceÕs classic work on the geology and mining industry of Cornwall, Mineralogia Cornubiensis, originally published in 1778. His detailed definitions are aimed at the lay reader, and because of his interests in Kernewek/Kernžak, he gives the Cornish origin of some of the entries; as he says in the foreword, Òthe idioms and terms of Corni_h Miners are mo_tly derived from the ancient Corni_h Briti_h dialect.Ó To help the modern reader, the editor has added Cornish equivalent terms, wherever possible, in both Unified Cornish and Revived Late/Modern Cornish. We hope this specialist booklet will appeal both to those with an interest in the industrial history of CornwallÑonce the world leader in hard-rock mining expertise,Ñas well as to those students of Kernewek/Kernžak who might wish to deepen their understanding of this technical register of the language, beyond what is given in general-purpose dictionaries.

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