Some Old Notes on Dunein and Kemr
A collection of notes concerning the Kerno language and the Provincee of Dunein
Tags:
I. History of the province, or of Kemr in general
II. Cultural notes
III. Notes on the Kerno language, or the languages related to it
IIII. Lexicon entries
V. Kerno texts w/ translations as available
I. History:
1. The legal calendar traditionally used in the Province, and to a lesser extent in Kemr in general, is based on the ancient Celtic and Roman calendars. It is essentially a listing of the Proper and Improper days upon which legal actions can take place.
II. Culture
1. Dumnonian Paganism. A holdover of ancient Roman Paganism (referred to as Religio Romana) is the modern priesthood of the Divine Epona. Epona is the goddess of horses and horse racing; and considering how passionate the Dumnonians are over horses, it is not entirely surprising that this vestige of Paganism has survived. While for many centuries the Rites were performed by Pagan priests, the functions were passed on to the Bishop of Esca in 1124 (Festalis Eponae), though the duties have actually been carried out by the pastor of St. Martin (of Tours) in the Fields since 1386. The Rites as they now exist are largely Catholic in nature, but their Pagan origins are clear enough in several parts. They are now quite secular in nature, being little more than parades with brass bands and ceremonial laps showing off the horses and all their finery. The presiding priest asks blessings on the land, the horses and the king (note the order!); and all are sprinkled with holy water (now rarely done). Another Rite is that of “ar provonir”, the Going Forth, held in July. The king leads his best horse down into the plot of land next to the old temple of Epona (now a chapel), and amidst much pomp and ceremony grooms the horse and lets it loose to graze for the afternoon.
2. Channel Iss. currency:
1 scoth (s) = 25 denaer (d) = 50 duboyn (dn) = 125 sestaerth (h) = 500 cadran (c) 1 denar = 20 c; 1 duboyn = 10 c; 1 sestaerth = 4 c
3. Kemrese / FK mints: Heaton, Tower Mint, York (England); Castreleon, Glastein (Kemr); Esca (Dunein).
4. Metal content of FK coins: Gold, 22k from 1805-1972; 14k from 1972; Silver, .925 from 1805 to 1986; .800 thereafter. The English guinea series are still struck to the Old Standard (22k).
5. Note issuing authorities: the Federated Kingdoms; the Bank of England; the Bank of Cambria; the Royal Bank of Scotland; the Clydesdale Bank; the Provincial Bank (of Dumnonia); the Kingdom of Lundy (Island of Lundy). Coins are minted by each individual country, plus the Kemrese provinces of Dunein and Cluid. Privately issued coinage is produced by the Dumnonian Mint (e.g., “Botecka le Costentin” (Constantine’s Grocery) has issued ‘dragon pennies’ since the mid 19th century. Legends surrounding the Dragon vary by issue, commonly things like “I buy my bread at Constantine’s” or “Finest Quality Vegemite Since 1954". At times, more political legends are to be found.)
Notes range in value from 1/- (in Dunein) to E40000 (Lundy). The FK prints L1000 to L100000 notes for interbank use [1000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000, 100000]. The 6 existing E40000 notes are owned by the Master of Lundy Island (4), the Government of Lundy (1) and the Clydesdale Bank (1). Each is worth L240000, and even though the Master’s wallet has been lost several times and stolen twice, those particular notes are never stolen. Who would be able to redeem them!?
Commemorative issues are minted as well. The spectacular 1967 Coronation Set are a favourite: obv. of the ecu (L6) features HM Gereint xiii enthroned and crowned w/ regalia; obv. of the 10/- features HM seated w/ military dress upon a horse. Rev. of both feature stunning representations of the Dragon.
6. Justice. The legal system is largely based on traditional British law (Law Code of Soel Dack) and Roman law.
The language in which legal documents are written is Legal Latin, a somewhat bookish language but much affected by changes in the archaic spoken language. Usual court wear consists of togas. Judges wear black, defense wears blue, prosecutor wears red, jurors wear white.
7. The name “Kerno”. First, the old Latin formulas LICITER CORNO VERBO and NULLO CORNO VERBO refer to where the ancient nonlatin Cornish language could be used (in court, etc.). After it died out, the usage was expanded to indicate the Roman vernaculars, collectively known as Cornish; and now refer to forn tongues like Brithenig, English, French, etc.
On the other hand, the official name of Kerno (as found in early church documents and continuing in government and popular usage) was Bretadnecca, or "British". This latter name continued in everyday use until the 19th century. The parade of separatism, cultural and linguistic rennaisance and a renewed sense of provincial political power was the ultimate impetus for the resurrection of "Corno".
III. Language
1. Eoer il Marx map Merchion il Roys lor Sarnor. Erant la orela le Marcce commyy orela la marche. Cant jarasont y varbatoeres le ncaboel, fu sa do lan occeela. Gouels il Marx que n’ sassiont rhen dy horela; et daferi ys ce cells, y varbatoeres. Mays, datrayu ce yen varro yen ncalames da sepurcres le barbthoer, ach fexis yen galumelle. Cant youwasot ys lan galumelle, cantasot sa: “Do Marcon la orela la merch! Hinio! Hinio! Hinio!
Was the Mark son of Merchion the king of Sarn. Were the ears of the Mark like the ears of the mare. When cut the barbers the hair, was she (the ears) to the eyes [they could see the ears]. Wished the Mark that not know not of the ears, and slew he the them, the barbers. But, took away this one man a reed from the tomb of the barber, and made a pipe. When played he the pipe, sang she: “To Mark the ears of the mare! Whinny! Whinny! Whinny!”
2. Some old saws: ystranad que nouvelles Armorow / Strange as news from Armorica. arfacont y h-inchoel l' asylum / The inmates run the asylum. No lo fagas nez ny bysnes lor druwez / Meddle not in the affairs of druids.
3. Number systems.
Kerno has several sets of numbers. The usual is the ancient vigesimal system:
yen, daw, traw, padguar, pymp, seck, sect, oeck, naw, deck, yendeck, dawdeck, trawdeck, cueduartheck, cuyntheck, sedgthack, senthack, oentheck, nawntheck, wygaint; yeniwygaint, dawiwygaint, etc.; 40 = davygaint; 60 = travygaint; 80 = padgrigaint; 100 = cent (or cuedndgrigaint). There are irregularities, of course, such as base 15 varieties for 16-19, 36-39, etc.
During the centuries of Kemrese linguistic hegemony, educators and Government tried to foist a decimal system on the language:
yen - deck as above. 11 = yendeg, 12 = dewdeg, 13 = trewdeg, 14 = catheordeg, 15 = quendeg, 16 = seddeg, 17 = sethedeg, 18 = oethedeg, 19 = noedeg, 20 = gouent; gouent-i-yen, etc.
Clearly, 11-15 are based on Brithenig patterns. 16-19 deviate from Brithenig (which itself goes all base fifteen on us). The decimal system is never seen anymore.
Hoity toity prose uses what for everyone else are the distributive numerals:
uno, bino, trino, cuederno, cueno, senno, setheno, oeckeno, nono, deno, yendeno, dewdeno, trewdeno, cueduardeno, cuydndeno, sedgeno, sendeno, oeckdeno, nawndeno, wyggeno, yeniwyggeno, etc.
When counting out pips on cards, dominos or dice; you use these numerals:
unea, binea, terdnea, cuarnea, cinckea, sestea, seyttea, oyttea, nonea, dockea, ounzea, douzea.
An odd numeral system is the so called "Numereirs lor Giganz", or Giants' Numerary. In southern and eastern Kemrese folk literature, Giants speak English (after a fashion, and for obvious reasons). Those that can count beyond "one" (or _to_ one, for that matter) count thus:
Oue, touey, threy, pouer, fife, selccan, sevyn, exten, nexen, tyne, ethelenlevene, tweleven, threllevyn, forenten, fifenten, selckenten, senenten, exentyne, nexentyne, deccantyne.
4. Goueth il bards gouer y nevulles in ce seu papeir; persque sen ces nevulles, cressa ne bellet unill; et enound cressa ne bellet spech, fachteor ne papeir ser. Hos modd, il papeir ach y nevoul consont. Ne tens cuech ty le moutil 'conesser' ny teu dixtcieoneir; iveri, credhem eo ke deus ystar ce la, per ce cest raison partichoeleir
The true poet sees the cloud in his paper; for without clouds, no tree grows; and where no tree grows, no paper is made. Thus, the paper and the cloud interare. You will not find the word interbe in your dictionary; but indeed I believe it should exist just for this reason.
5. Dumnonian Legal Latin:
curea, court
nomen cureai, legal name
vadez de hinc curiad, case dismissed
vadez co jodiad, go in joy (said to victorious plaintiff)
vadez co justiciad, go with justicee (said to losing plaintiff)
vadez con infamiad, go in infamy (said to ridiculous or frivolous plaintiff)
lecticus, the four generations that constitute the clan or household
Example Text:
per le utilitate luor necessitantum, extendo ocs illes presentes triginta die Equo mmij apud civitatem Iscam Dunoro in Prouincia Duneno
Triginta die Equo camulo Dunnoro apud Isca Dunoro maiore Marco Iowanes rege Gerontio xiij imperatore Constantino xj Bizantio, anno domino mmij anno auc mmdcclv; facetor oc:
Apud Iscam Dunoro in oc die, uenitor apud me Theodosio derwido oc omo, __Alexander Iulius-Cesar Dawies__, conductor, apud Iscam uiuens et oc faxit gnotum:
Et oc affirmot ille quid apud Iscam uiginta et tertio die Equo nonas horas ante meridianas peperciter filio mapono, tertiogenito, quis est filio mapono de matre Maria Antonia Dawies- Vasquez, desecuentimongeir, apud Iscam uiuens & de patro Alexander Iulius-Cesar Dawies, conductor, apud Iscam uiuens;
et fuit natiuitas in __domullo No. vij Ystrada Constantino in “Via Regum”__, domus de matre et patreque;
et, mici atetulit patris documento de illa obstetrice quid affirmot: natiuitas facile agitor et peperciter filio mapono de forma normale et umbilico transfixo; Elizabeth MacInnis obstetrico.
Apud Iscam, testifacio __Alexander Iulius-Cesar Dawies__; __Marco Pendrosa__; __Caratacos Gaius Pendsantos__. Oc copia est fidele originale in Libro __4__, folia __72__, actum no. __1766__. Oc copia fuit enscripta per __Julia Farario__ ante mici presente.
Theodosios derwidos
