Page:The ancient language, and the dialect of Cornwall.djvu/18

Vlll Then again, words, if one may use the expression, are constantly travelling about, and dropping here and there as the people move, and so, to keep an eastern and a western glossary correct according to their titles, would be an impossible, or endless task. Again, it may be asked, where is the boundary be- tween the east and the west dialect? In reality there is no actual limit, although, as stated in the following pages, there is a shadowy boundary, a sort of neutral ground. In fact, the Cornish dialect changes by interrupted, or irregular degrees, all the way from one end of the county to the other. Eeflecting on these difficulties, the writer concluded that one glossary for the whole county would be simpler, and practically the better. The other plan to be correct would require, 1st — A glossary for West Cornwall, 2nd — A glossary for East Cornwall, and 3rd — A separate glossary of words common to cdl Cornwall. In reality three glossaries for one county ! Nevertheless, the English Dialect Society, in 1880, issued a glossary for East, and another for West Cornwall, but none for those words common to the whole county. That for West Cornwall is by Miss M. A. Courtney, who has evidently worked hard in compiling a valuable glossary to which the present writer is much indebted. The glossary for East Cornwall is not so extensive as the former, but very good. It was compiled by Mr. Thos. Q. Couch, to whom the writer owes many thanks. Good as these glossaries are, their division into Eastern and Western, is, the writer thinks, confusing, and the