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Agan Tavas (Our Language) is a society which exists to promote the Cornish language
Cornish language

The Cornish language is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages. The language continued to function as a community language in parts of Cornwall until the late 18th century, and there have been attempts to revive the language since the early 20th century....
. It was formed in 1987 to promote the use of Cornish as a spoken language. At that time only those observed to be using the language fluently could become members by invitation. In 1990 Agan Tavas was reformed by its members into an open society with the aim of ensuring continued support for the Unified form of revived Cornish first put forward in 1929 by Robert Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance

Robert Morton Nance Born in Cardiff of Cornish parents. Nance moved to Cornwall in 1906 where he lived at the village of Nancledra near St Ives, Cornwall....
.

Agan Tavas recognises the validity of any form of revived Cornish based on orthography
Orthography

The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Orthography is derived from Greek language ????? orth?s and ???fe?? gr?phein ....
 used by Cornish people at any time in the history of the language.






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Agan Tavas (Our Language) is a society which exists to promote the Cornish language
Cornish language

The Cornish language is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages. The language continued to function as a community language in parts of Cornwall until the late 18th century, and there have been attempts to revive the language since the early 20th century....
. It was formed in 1987 to promote the use of Cornish as a spoken language. At that time only those observed to be using the language fluently could become members by invitation. In 1990 Agan Tavas was reformed by its members into an open society with the aim of ensuring continued support for the Unified form of revived Cornish first put forward in 1929 by Robert Morton Nance
Robert Morton Nance

Robert Morton Nance Born in Cardiff of Cornish parents. Nance moved to Cornwall in 1906 where he lived at the village of Nancledra near St Ives, Cornwall....
.

Agan Tavas recognises the validity of any form of revived Cornish based on orthography
Orthography

The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Orthography is derived from Greek language ????? orth?s and ???fe?? gr?phein ....
 used by Cornish people at any time in the history of the language. It opposes the use of what it sees as invented forms of the language which lack any historical authenticity.

Agan Tavas received a boost in its membership after 1995 when Nicholas Williams
Nicholas Williams

Nicholas Jonathan Anselm Williams , writing as Nicholas Williams or sometimes N.J.A. Williams, is a leading expert on the Cornish language....
 of University College Dublin claimed in his book Cornish Today that the form of Cornish known as Common Cornish
Kernewek Kemmyn

Kernewek Kemmyn is a variety of the revived Cornish language.Kernewek Kemmyn was developed, mainly by Ken George, from Unified Cornish in 1986....
, devised by Ken George
Ken George

Kenneth J. George, writing as Ken George, is an oceanographer and linguist noted as being the originator of Kernewek Kemmyn, an orthography for the Cornish language supporters claimed to be more faithful to Middle Cornish phonology than its precursor ....
 and favoured by the Cornish Language Board
Kesva an Taves Kernewek

Kesva an Taves Kernewek is a representative body promoting the Cornish language. It was founded in 1967 by Gorseth Kernow and the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies as a language planning and examining authority....
, was badly flawed.

At present, Agan Tavas supports the amendments made to Unified Cornish but respects the rights of its members to use either Unified Cornish or Unified Cornish Revised. It maintains a list of classes using historical Cornish, organises events for its members and publishes books in both Unified and Unified Cornish Revised. It produces for its members the four monthly bilingual magazine An Gowsva ('The Talking Shop').

Both previous Chairmen, Andrew Climo
Andrew Climo

Andrew Climo is an activist for Cornish devolution and the Cornish language....
 and Craig Weatherhill
Craig Weatherhill

Craig Weatherhill is a long standing author both of fiction and non-fiction works about Cornwall. Raised in St Just in Penwith and then in Falmouth, Cornwall, after serving in the forces he developed a career in conservation and architecture....
 have been advocates of bringing the language community together by means of a Standard Written Form
Standard Written Form

The Standard Written Form of the Cornish language is an orthography standard that is designed to "provide public bodies and the educational system with a universally acceptable, inclusive, and neutral orthography"....
 based on traditional forms of Cornish. At an Extraordinary General Meeting
Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time....
 in September 2008, the membership of the Society overwhelmingly voted to support the Standard Written Form (albeit in such a manner that would protect the teaching of the traditional language), as well as the orthography known as Kernowek Standard
Kernowek Standard

Kernowek Standard is a variety of revived Cornish language. Developed gradually by a group called UdnFormScrefys , it was published as a proposal in a series of revisions....
.

See also

  • Cornish Language Council
    Cornish Language Council

    The Cornish Language Council is an organisation promoting the revival of the Cornish language. The CLC encourages research into the Cornish of all periods but supports the teaching and dissemination of modern rather than medieval Cornish....
  • Kesva an Taves Kernewek
    Kesva an Taves Kernewek

    Kesva an Taves Kernewek is a representative body promoting the Cornish language. It was founded in 1967 by Gorseth Kernow and the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies as a language planning and examining authority....
  • Languages in the United Kingdom
    Languages in the United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined official language. English language is the main language and is thus the de facto official language....