The Cornish language will be given the same status as Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic after the government submitted it for greater protection under the European Charter.
Kernewek, spoken as a first language by 563 people according to the last census, has been recommended by the government for Part III status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the highest level of protection available.
The languages protected under the Charter should be actively promoted by the Government in education, courts, administration, media, culture, economic and social life, under the supervision of the Council of Europe. This means that citizens have the right to use their protected language in legal hearings and education.
Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Cornwall. Seeing Cornish recognized alongside Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Gaelic is something we can all be extremely proud of. Our language is an important part of who we are. This announcement sends a strong message that Cornish matters, and it deserves the highest level of support and protection. This is an important step in strengthening our culture for future generations. Is.”
In recent years there has been a revival of the Cornish language, with more young people learning it and it becoming more prominent in popular culture.
Cornwall Council said that in 2024–25, more than one million searches were made using the online Cornish dictionary and its Cornish language team received more than 650 requests, with more than 32,000 words translated into Kernewek – a 22% increase on the previous year.
More than 200 people sign up for Kernewek classes each year, and approximately 6,000 schoolchildren are enrolled in the Go Cornish for Primary Schools programme.
Dick Cole, chairman of the Fifth Nation Working Group, which advocates for Cornish culture, said: “This means that Cornish will have the same status as other Celtic languages in the United Kingdom.
“The Government’s priority now must be to work with the people of Cornwall to better support and promote our national language. And we must build on this position to ensure that Cornish nationalism is better reflected in all aspects of UK governance, which needs to include a meaningful devolution agreement.”
Kernewek, once spoken throughout Cornwall, is now classified as “critically endangered” by the UNESCO World Atlas of Languages, after the organization had previously declared it “extinct”.
Although the latest census covering England and Wales found only 563 people said Cornish was their main language, experts said the total number of Cornish speakers was probably higher as most people use English in everyday life.
Cornwall Council estimates that 2,000 to 5,000 people can speak basic Cornish, and this number is rising.
Mercury Prize-nominated Cornish/Welsh singer Gwenno Saunders, who has written and performed albums entirely in Kernewek, has called for the language to be taught more widely to children in the far south-west.
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