Language Domains and Status in Middle Cornish

The revived Cornish language is based on the Cornish medieval miracle and saints' lives plays, and a question arising is their use of non-Cornish phrases, which has been remarked on for many years, with no consensus of what their use means. Is there a pattern in its use, or is it random, and does this compare with the English plays and the other European medieval plays' counterparts? This study shows that language choice is dictated by social status, Christian spiritual status, learned status, theological status, and relationship to the establishment power structures. Using the sociolinguist theory of code-switching, Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), transgressive language theory, and literary criticism, the Cornish plays can be used as a window into the world of the Cornish audience. This dissertation demonstrates that the Cornish were using code-switching in the plays to both mock and resist the overarching English-speaking power establishment. This temporal power and its abuse are closely tied to English transgressive language use and are counterpointed by the Latin use for the spiritual power of characters. The use of transgressive English language follows that of the English miracle and morality plays, emphasised further through code-switching. Furthermore, French is a higher status marked court language used by the middling sort.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

ma

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Angove, Gary M.

• D111 Hanes Canoloesol
• DA Prydain Fawr
• PB1501 Gwyddeleg (Gaeleg yr Alban)
• PN2000 Cynrychiolaeth ddramatig. Y Theatr

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:3085