Cornish

American  

[kawr-nish] / ˈkɔr nɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, England, its inhabitants, or the Cornish language.

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noun

1. the Celtic language of Cornwall, extinct since c1800.

2. one of an English breed of chickens raised chiefly for crossing with other breeds to produce roasters.

Cornish British  

/ ˈkɔːnɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, its inhabitants, their former language, or their present-day dialect of English

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noun

1. a former language of Cornwall, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family and closely related to Breton: extinct by 1800

2. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Cornwall

Etymology

Origin of Cornish

1350–1400; late Middle English, apparently syncopated variant of Middle English Cornwelisse. See Cornwall, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

It has been deployed in debates ranging from conditions in armed forces housing to the sewerage system of a Cornish hospital.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The Ramblers charity has been campaigning for greater access to England's coastline since the end of World War II. Jack Cornish, director of England for the Ramblers, describes the new path as "transformational".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

"It creates a band of access land from the trail to the high water mark, so that means you can leave the trail to go and roam the beaches," Cornish says.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The Cornish people are a recognised national minority under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, meaning they share the same status as the Welsh, Irish and Scots within the UK.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

“Traditional Cornish steak with beef, potatoes, and onions in a golden-brown crust,” Rio replied, savoring the thought of it.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti