Cornish (Kernewek or Kernowek [kəɾˈnuːək]) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Cornish people and their homeland, Cornwall. Along with Welsh and Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, a language once spoken widely across Great Britain. For much of the medieval period Cornish was the main language of Cornwall, until it was gradually pushed westwards by the spread of English. Cornish remained a common community language in parts of Cornwall until the mid-18th century, and there is some evidence for traditional speakers persisting into the 19th century.
Cornish became extinct as a living community language in Cornwall by the end of the 18th century; knowledge of Cornish persisted within some families and individuals. A revival started in the early 20th century, and in 2010 UNESCO reclassified the language as critically endangered, stating that its former classification of the language as extinct was no longer accurate. The language has a growing number of second-language speakers, and a very small number of families now raise children to speak revived Cornish as a first language.
