42 



TKACES OF OLD CORNISH. 



that, invaluable as that learned work is, it is compiled from a few 

 Glossaries, and from those words which happen to compose the 

 Dramas, and sundry other literary remains — material, in its sum 

 total, very limited in extent ; consequently any other Cornish 

 words not met with in these sources, will not be found in the 

 Lexicon. It is absolutely necessary, therefore, to turn to Welsh, 

 and Breton, and Irish, for supplementary information. Thus : — 



Browse — (coarse growth of a hedge side). I can find no word 

 like it in Cornish ; but the Welsh have words Frt/s, 

 Prysglwyn, Prysel, which mean brushwood, tangled 

 brambles, etc. ; and the Irish have Brus, small branches ; 

 and Bros-na, in Gaelic means a faggot ; and this looks as 

 if there must be some Cornish original for Browse. 



Davebed — (faded of flowers). The Welsh have the same word 

 — Difroed, faded; but what was the Cornish word ? 



DiDGY — (a little " didgy bit," especially of " nicies.") The 



Welsh Dichwyn, or Diohyn, means a fragment, or morsel 



but what is the equivalent in Cornish ? 

 EvAL — (a five-pronged stable fork). The Cornish word seems 



gone ; but the Welsh, efal, remains. 

 Geeking — (" what be geeking at?") to stare, to intrude. The 



Welsh giegin, means a sneering, prying way of looking. 

 And so, it is probable, if anything is to be made of 



such words as these : — 



