Cornish language
Cornish (in its own language Kernewek, Kernowek) is a Celtic language spoken in Cornwall (southwest Britain). It has an old tradition in literature, especially in the Middle Ages and the 16th century. Nevertheless this language has been harshly dominated by English since many centuries. It dwindled so dramatically that, at the end of the 18th century, it became close to extinction. But contrary to what one often thinks, Cornish was never completely extinct and it somehow survived in popular use through set expressions, songs and various words. The language has been revived and partly reconstructed since 1904 thanks to Henry Jenner, who has been followed by a growing network of enthusiats until today. In 2002, the British government recognized Cornish under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and gave in 2005 a funding to protect the language.
Various, rival attempts of codification were carried on during the 20th century. In 2008, after a lot of talks, the Cornish Language Partnership[1] obtained an agreement for a common codification called Standard Written Form or SWF (in Cornish Furv Savonek Scrifys),[2] which is expected to be used by Cornwall County Council authorities.
The closest relatives of Cornish are Welsh and Breton.