Cornish Language and Languages

Tre, Pol, and Pen
An old Cornish saying runs "By Tre, Pol and Pen shall ye know all Cornishmen". Unlike other Celtic peoples, such as the Irish and Welsh, most Cornish surnames are derived from place names. In Cornwall, these include "Tre-" (meaning town or farmstead), "Pol-" (a pool) and "Pen-" (head, or headland). Examples

Tre-


 * Treherne


 * Trelawney


 * Tremayne


 * Trevaskis


 * Trevithick

Pol-


 * Polkinghorne


 * Polperro


 * Polwhele

Pen-


 * Pendarves


 * Penhaligon


 * Penrose - London born Charles W. Penrose, who was of Cornish descent was in the Quorum of the Twelve of the COJCOLDS

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 * Pentreath - Dolly Pentreath was one of the last speakers of traditional Cornish.