Sengen Fiddee – Songs In Cornish Dialect

Dialect is a significant element of culture. All the more so in a land like Cornwall with a distinctive character and h~story of its own. But some still relegate dialect to the darker recesses of academia or folk-lore, although dialect contains not only evidence of old linguistic usages and
structures but, in the case of Cornwall, a distinct vocabulary with traces of Kernewek, the historic language of the land, and West Saxon. Indeed the geography of dialect in Cornwall is complex and rich, with two main dialect areas and a third, transitional zone. Study reveals that Cornish dialect not only has a sound system far removed from Modern
English and Cornish, but also has its own grammar. Flexible word order gives a range of meaning and subtleties that can be difficult to comprehend. Dialect eez sum maezd and sum maezd ee ez both translate as ‘he is very perplexed’ but the first emphasises the person while the latter emphasises his state. Both are good Dialect.

Dialect speakers can read standard English as well as being able to understand Dialect literature from the late 1800’s onwards. There is a continuum with standard English at one end, and pure Dialect at the other. The detail of this continuum has varied over the years, evolving over generations of Dialect poetry and literature. Inevitably songs are found throughout the continuum and this book reflects how they are now sung by the Dialect speakers of Cornwall.

The purpose of this book is to record and re-affirm Dialect in song in Cornwall in the early 21st century. The origins of the songs are various. Many come from the folk tradition, others are modern songs, often written in a folk genre. Many have Cornish origins, but some started well outside the Duchy. Some are from early 20th century documentary sources. Some came from music hall, which continued in Plymouth into the 1950s. Some were popularised as a result of the ‘folk revival’ through the singing of Brenda Wootton and others. The only criterion for inclusion is popular adoption into the public domain.

Open downloadable pdf file:Sengen Fiddee

List Of Songs:

6 Trelawnee
7 Aadums Fawl
8 Cornish Ketchun
10 Cornish Laadz
11 Dree-And ud Rael
12 Faethom tha Boll
13 Tha Flite a 01 Artful
14 Goyn Up Camburn ‘Ill
15 Jan Knuckey
16 Tha Keenlee Load
17 Lamorna
18 Liddel Eyes
19 Maagee Mae
20 Nawthen Sept You
21 Tha Ol Grae Duck
22 Ol Mallee Pijee
23 Tha Passun Owtwited
24 Tha Pastee Sawng
25 Tha Raaslen Match
26 Tha Raoberz Retraet or Tha Cadgwith Hanthum
27 Sen Kevern Fayst Day Sawng
28 Shynen Down Oan Sennen
29 Tha Sweet Nytengaal
30 Tom Bawcock’ s Eve
31 Trura Ager-i-cultral Shaw
32 We Be
33 Whael Rodnee
34 Tha Wyld Roaver
35 Tha Wite Roaz
36 Tha Zwy