Cornish language to receive part III status under European charter | Cornwall
The Cornish language will be given the same status as Gaelic, Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic after the government applied for greater protection under the European charter.
Kernewek, spoken as a mother tongue by 563 people according to the last census, is assigned by the government to Level III of the European Charter, the highest level of protection for regional or minority languages. Recommended for chapter status.
Languages protected under the Charter should be actively promoted by the government in the areas of education, courts, administration, media, culture, economic and social life supervised by the Council of Europe. This means that citizens have the right to use their protected language in legal hearings and education.
Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall council, said: “This is fantastic news for Cornwall. To see Cornish recognized alongside Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic is something we can all be immensely proud of.
“Our language is a vital part of who we are. This announcement sends a strong message that Cornish is important and deserves the highest level of support and protection. It is an important step in strengthening our culture for future generations.”
The Cornish language has experienced a revival in recent years, with more young people taking lessons and it gaining greater prominence in popular culture.
Cornwall council said there were more than a million searches using the online Cornish dictionary in 2024-25 and the Cornish language team received more than 650 requests, translating more than 32,000 words into Kernewek, up 22% on the previous year.
More than 200 people enroll in Kernewek classes each year and approximately 6,000 school children also enroll in Kernewek. For primary schools go to Cornish program.
Dick Cole, chairman of the Fifth Nation Working Group, which advocates for Cornish culture, said: “This means Cornish will have the same status as other Celtic languages in the UK.
“The priority now must be for the government to work with the people of Cornwall to better support and promote our national language. And we must build on this status to ensure the Cornish nation is better reflected in all aspects of UK governance, which must include a meaningful devolution agreement.”
Kernewek, once spoken in Cornwall, is now classified as “critically endangered” by the Unesco world language atlas after the organization previously declared it “extinct”.
Although only 563 people in the latest census covering England and Wales said Cornish was their first language, experts said the total number of Cornish speakers was probably higher as most used English in daily life.
Cornwall council estimates that between 2,000 and 5,000 people speak basic Cornish, and that number is growing.
Mercury Prize-nominated Cornish/Welsh singer Gwenno Saunders, who wrote and performed all of the albums in Kernewek, called for the language to be taught more widely to children in the south-west.
