Kernewek and the Use of Uselessness
By Niwlen Ster, Sordya (sordya.net)
Our comrades in Cornwall share a similar language root to us here in Wales, and we are proud to share their work to a Welsh audience. As stated in our last article, we aim to publish in minoritised languages first and English second, so scroll down for the English translation.
Kernewek, the Cornish national language, suffers in a similar way that all minoritised languages suffer when they live in the economic periphery. Much like Cymraeg, the British state seeks to homogenise a national language – English, and abolish languages outside of this. This homogenisation seeks to create a proleteriat which is not rooted in place they are from, a proleteriat which does not fight back against the economic and cultural destruction of where they are from. Much like parts of Wales, parts of Cornwall have been turned into a tourist playground, where homes are left empty for the whole year and turned into a commodity – a holiday home. These areas face economic destruction, instead of having agricultural or industrial bases, they have a seasonal tourist industry, which cannot support the local area outside of a few months in summer. Economic destruction becomes cultural destruction, becomes the desertion of place they were raised, becomes the death of organic, stable and growing communities.
Under these conditions, Kernewek faces extinction. But where does this leave the act of learning, speaking and reading in Kernewek? Perhaps it offers a more radical cultural flashpoint to organise around, a truly ‘useless’ (to the capitalist!) pleasure which rejects the standards enforced by capitalist, british society. What can we learn from this mindset? For example, Cymraeg courses will ask the learner “Why are you doing this course?” and one of the answers is “career prospects”, is this the future that we want for our language? Must utility be a factor in all our decisions? Or should we sometimes learn for the joy of learning, speak for the pleasure of speaking and resist for the power of resisting?
Read on and think about the beauty of uselessness, and how that resonates in our own fight for cultural and economic independence.
KERNEWEK A-WOLES
“Nyns yw dhe les yn bewnans pubdydhyek”, “Nyns eus poynt”. Ni oll re glewas an askusyow ma po nebes kehaval kyns ow tochya Kernewek. Dar, Henry Jenner hogen, ragdas an Dasserghyans, a leveris “ny serv porpos hewul vyth”. Ewn yw ev hwath hedhyw, y’n brassa rann. Pan gewsyn a hewulderyow pur, ny wra Kernewek gwaynya soodh dres lycklod ha ny wrug an brassa rann a Gernewegoryon dendyl diner a’ga yeth.
Ytho, fatel worthebyn orth an bobel a wrussa “dyski neppyth dhe les, kepar ha Frynkek”?
PYTH YW ‘LES’ PORAN?
“Ni oll a wor fatel yw skoll yn fenowgh rendrys broweghus dre dermyn—skollya termyn avel dos ha bos skollyek, skollya termyn avel skollya dha vewnans. Y kofhir dhe’n skollyogyon py mar verr yw bewnans. Y kreg breus a’n par ma war dybyans a usya, kepar dell yw termyn skollyes marnas y vos usys yn fas po yn ta. Possybyl yw y fynnyn chalenjya py usyow yw konsidrys mas po da.”
Sara Ahmed, What’s the Use? On the Uses of Use
Kernewek yw yeth hag usi ow tevi. Byghan, mes owth avonsya yn lent. Yth eson ni owth oberi war dhiogeli moy a’gan gwiryow yn-dann an Chartour Europek rag Yethow Ranndiryel po Le-Usys. Yth eson ni owth oberi war wruthyl dalgh, bri, dos yn skolyow, dos y’n oberva. An taklow ma a wra dos wortiwedh hag unn jydh my a wayt y fydh possybyl dendyl bewnans der oberi gans Kernewek rag kettep pen a vynn.
Kyn krysav bos an amkan na onan da, yma moy hag yw posek yn bewnans ages bos dhe les, ha pyth yw dhe les yw ervirys yn fenowgh gans benfysegyon an jynn may trigyn ynno. Dyskys yw dhyn bos an yeth dhe les an huni a wra junya gans erbysiethow an moyha gwarthevyek a’n bys, bos an yeth dhe les, wortiwedh, an dra a wra gasa dhyn dos ha bos dhe les dhe gowethas a vyw dhe dhrogusya lavur.
Res yw dhe dus dybri ha’n talvosegyans a by sleynethow yw ‘dhe les’ yw talvosegyans a by sleynethow a wra ri an mona dh’y wul. Mes nyns yw bewnans marnas bara. Res yw bos ros ynwedh.
Yw lymnans dhe les? Kan? Yw amm dhe les? Yw An Hurlysi dhe les?
Gonisogeth dhenel re beu a-dro dhe voy es an pyth a wra provia an nessa boos a-dhia bosva gonisogeth dhenel. Mar kylli kaffler-helghyoryon a-varr spena an termyn dhe lymna fos fow yn strif pesus a dreusvewa, assa via trist kelli aga rosennow yn kowethas le may kodh bos ispoyntel an edhom a lavur. Dell verk filosofer Edward McDougall: “Yn bewnans an maner a weythres lewyes gans les a nagh yn selvenel puptra nag yw mayn dhe’n towl. Yn hwir mar usir les avel an unsel talvosogeth posek, ny vydh agan bewnans marnas rannow a linen-askorra dibenn.”
Kelwesyon re assayas a-gynsow ynsidhla agan hobbis, ow kewsel a geworra Toknys Ankeschanjyadow dhe wariow gwydhyow may hallo agan didhan dos an gwrians a ‘dalvosogeth’. “A ny vyn’ta gweles dha gevarghow attylys yn gwariow?” yn-medhons. “A ny vyn’ta dha dermyn syger dhe oberi a-barth dhis?” Ny yll an faytours ma dismygi nag yw taklow kepar ha gwari ha diskwitha ‘usys’, ha nag eus talvosogeth vyth estennys a’gan powes. Unnweyth moy yma gorwolysi an weythva ow hwilas danvon agan attendyans arta orth an ober-gwibessa a wul dhe’n linen yskynna.
Mes nyns eson ni rann a linen-askorra ha ny dal dhyn kodha y’n vaglen a verkya puptra nag yw dhe les dhe’n jifys weythva avel ‘skoll’. Omalowa dhe dalvosa hag enjoya pythow ‘diles’ a nas effeythadewder an linen-askorra. Yn kowethas stummys gans bilvilwesyon yn kowrweythva, dilester a yll bos praksys y honan.
AN GLYCH
“Pyth a yllyn ni dyski a-dhwyorth virus jynn-amontya? Virus jynn-amontya a beder kedhlow. Virus jynn-amontya yw kostek rag chatelydhieth. Ev a iselha askorruster y’n jynn. Virus jynn-amontya yw godros dhe weythres an jynn ha’y erbysieth. Jynn a dreusfurv yn onan na yll gweythresa, na yll oberi yn lytherennek, hag a ankev fatel oberi, hag a ober erbynn y borpos. Y chalenj an kesperthynyans endemek yntra talvosogeth ha lavur, peryllus yn y dhilester.”
Legacy Russell, Glitch Feminism
Ow kemeres an tybyans a’n glych avel hy awen, Legacy Russell a dheskrif manifesto a dhasson a-dhyworth benelogorieth dre livreson kwir hag y’gan rosweyth a strifow ynterjunys. Hi a dhesedh omsevel erbynn les avel legryas war, nagh oberi gans an kevreyth hag a beryll y honan an kevreyth.
Hemm yw an nell a dhilester. Ny wra treylya agan attendyans a’n fordhow may teun ni marghasadow ha dhe les dhe’n jynn kemeres nerth anodho hepken, mes dewis strechya yn dilester a yll gorra glus y’n jynnweyth. Mars yw obayans assentyans, ytho disobayans yw defians. Dewis spena agan termyn gans Kernewek a dheu moy ages joy, moy ages sevel orth aswon pyth a ‘dal’ dhyn gul, nagh a dhos kenwerthen yw, bos dansell.
Y’n eur ma yth yw Kernewek neppyth na wor an jynn amontya. Kernewek yw glych, tamm a god diles a yll godros an kevreyth y honan. Yn bys mayth yw pub meusva a Sowsnek rathys ha daskesunys gans Skians Kreftek yn past budh anvlas, ass yw kader bos anusyadow.
Kyn karsen vy dendyl ow bara dre Gernewek, yma nell yn bos diles. Yma hwedhel an Tao henwys An Wedhen Dhiles. Ynno, yma gwedhen gowrek hwithrys gans kynser ser prenn neb a gyn, kyn fe an wedhen gader, hy bos re gamm ha kolmek dhe vos gwrys yn tra vyth, re stummys dhe vos treghys yn estyl kompes. An ser prenn a worthyb bos gwydh kanel debradow, ytho treghys yns i. Gwydh vern gales yw lesek, ytho shyndya yns; gwydh frooth yw lommhes rag aga askor. Yn-medh ev “An wedhen ma yw diles. Hemm yw prag re dhrehedhas hy hothni.”
Kembrek, anodho an skorr re devis moy kompes es Kernewek a-dhiwedhes, a veu treylys a-gynsow yn kors lesek gans Duolingo hag a welas resevans gerys da gans dyskoryon. Yn mis Hedra a’n vledhen usi passyes, y feu ober war an kors na hedhys. Ny vydh displegyans moy na skoodhyans moy. Y fydh an kors hwath kavadow dh’y usya, mes heb moy a ewnheans kammow po nowedhyansow, y hwra kelli perthynekter ha’y estyl treghys hag argerdhys a wra steuvi ha pedri. Na fella lesek lowr rag an jifys, dispresys yw. An les a Gembrek a wrug y dreylya yn kenwerthen rag Duolingo ha, pan na veu breusys dhe les na fella dhe’n jynn, forsakys veu.
Nihonek, yeth konsidrys avel ‘diles’ unweyth yn kowethas an West, yw konsidrys lemmyn avel yeth pur dhe les. Latin, unweyth pur bosek, yw lemmyn ‘diles’ arta. Kembrek a leskel war amal a ‘dhe les’ ha ‘diles’ pub dydh. Les yw mar vrottel avel siansow chatel. Taklow kesdewys gans an jynn yw droppys hware arta pan na wrons i dhe’n linen yskynna. Skonyans a les, skonyans a ervira fatel dal dhyn spena agan termyn selys war byth yw ‘dhe les’, a rydhha Kernewek a’n tebeldyghtyans ma.
NYNS OS TA DANSELL
“Ni a dhenagh bos prenys ha gwerthys. Ny gemeryn meth a dreylya dhyworth marghas a vynn agan dybri bew. Ni a wra stratejegi ha kuntellegi war-tu ha dilester, falladow hag a dhismyk, nowedhi ha delivra.”
Legacy Russell, Glitch Feminism
Ytho, ow tochya prag y talvia dhe nebonan dyski yeth ‘diles’ kepar ha Kernewek, porth kov bos les styrys gans siansow jynn an arghans. Porth kov bos bewnans na sew ma’s pyth yw dhe les onan heb art hag ilow ha joy. Porth kov y hyll agan kowethas chatelydhyek usya pyth yw ‘dhe les’ dhe wul kenwerthen ahanan, ha pyth yw ‘dhe les’ dhyn a yll bos an dra a wra agan merkya dhe vos usys ha drogusys. Porth kov bos taklow ‘diles’ glych: tra a joy ha tra a yll bos gwevys genen dhe dhistrui an dra a wra agan usya.
Ha pan vo Kernewek martesen breusys avel ‘dhe les’ y’n termyn a dheu, porth kov y kodh dhyn sevel orth bos husys ha bos an attendyans na brottel. Porth kov Kernewek avel glych.
Ny veus genys dhe vos effeythadow. Genys veus dhe lagatta dres an fenestri orth an bys y’th kerghyn. Genys veus dhe omjunya gans tus erel.
Dysk Kernewek. Heudh nerthek trehwelek yaghus diles yw. Kepar ha kan, wos’ta.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW
“It’s not useful in everyday life”, “There’s no point”. We’ve all heard these excuses or those like them before when it comes to Kernewek. Hell, even Henry Jenner, forefather of the Cornish language revival, said it “serves no practical purpose”. He’s still right today, by and large. When it comes to pure practicalities, Kernewek will likely not get you a job and most speakers of Kernewek have never earned a penny from their language.
So, how do we answer those who would “rather learn something useful, like French”?
WHAT EVEN IS ‘USE’?
“We all know how waste is often rendered alarming through time—to waste time as to become a waster, to waste time as to waste your life. Wasters are reminded of just how short life is. Such a judgement depends on an idea of making use, as if time is wasted unless it is used properly or used well. We might want to challenge what uses count as proper or good ones.”
Sara Ahmed, What’s the Use? On the Uses of Use
Kernewek is a growing language. Small, but slowly making progress. We are working on securing further of our rights under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. We are working on creating content, value, getting into schools, getting into the workplace. These things will come with time and I hope that one day anyone who chooses will be able to earn a living through working with Kernewek.
While I do believe that goal is a good one, there is more to life than being useful, and what is useful is often decided by the beneficiaries of the machine we live in. We are taught that the useful language is the one that will connect with the most dominant economies of the globe, that the useful language is, ultimately, what will allow us to be made useful to a society that exists to exploit labour.
Sure, people need to eat and the valuation of what skills are ‘useful’ is a valuation of what skills will give one the money to do so. But life is not all bread-winning. There must be roses too.
Is a painting useful? A song? Is a kiss useful? Are The Hurlers useful?
Human culture has been about more than what will provide the next meal since human culture existed. If early hunter-gatherers could take the time to paint a cave wall in the constant struggle for survival, how sad it would be to lose sight of our roses in a society where the need for labour should be minimal. As philosopher Edward McDougall notes: “The use driven approach to life fundamentally denies anything that is not a means to an end. If we really take utility as the only meaningful value, our lives would be merely parts of a never-ending production line”.
Crypto bros have lately tried to infiltrate our hobbies, talking about adding Non-Fungible Tokens to video games so that even our recreation becomes the creation of ‘value’. “Don’t you wish you could see a return on investment in games?” they ask. “Don’t you want your play time to work for you?” These hustlers cannot imagine that things like play and relaxation and art are not being ‘used’, that there is no value being extracted from our rest. Again the factory supervisors are seeking to return our attention to the busywork of making the line go up.
But we are not parts of a production line and we must not fall into the trap of marking anything not valuable to the factory bosses as ‘waste’. Allowing ourselves to value and to enjoy what is ‘useless’ affects the efficiency of the production line. In a society bent by billionaires into a mega-factory, uselessness can itself be praxis.
THE GLITCH
“What can we learn from a computer virus? A computer virus corrupts data. A computer virus costs capitalism. It degrades productivity within the machine. A computer virus is a threat to the function of the machine and its economy. A machine transforms into one that cannot perform, that quite literally cannot work, forgets how to work, works against its function. It challenges the endemic correlation between value and labor, dangerous in its uselessness.”
Legacy Russell, Glitch Feminism
Taking the glitch as her inspiration, Legacy Russell describes a manifesto that echoes from feminism through queer liberation and into our network of interconnected struggles. She positions rebelling against use as a conscious corruption, a refusal to work with the system that itself endangers the system.
This is the power of uselessness. Not only does turning our attention from the ways we become marketable and useful to the machine sap energy from it, but choosing to dally in uselessness can gum up the works of the machine. If obedience is compliance, then disobedience is defiance. Choosing to spend our time with Kernewek becomes not only a joy, not only an ignoring of what we ‘should’ be doing, but a refusal to become a commodity, to be a cog.
Kernewek is something that, currently, the machine cannot compute. Kernewek is a glitch, a piece of useless code that can threaten the system itself. In a world where every inch of English is scraped and recombinated by Artificial Intelligence into a bland profit paste, how beautiful to be unuseable.
While I would love to be able to earn my bread through Kernewek, there is a power in being useless. There is a Taoist story known as The Useless Tree. In it, there is a huge tree eyed up by a carpenter’s apprentice who laments that, although it is beautiful, it is too crooked and knotty to be made into anything, too bent to be cut into straight planks. The master replies that cinnamon trees are edible and so they are cut down. Lacquer trees are profitable, so they are maimed; fruit trees are stripped for their produce. He says “That tree is useless. That is why it has reached such a ripe old age.”
Welsh, whose branches have grown straighter than Kernewek of late, was recently turned into a profitable little course by Duolingo that saw popular uptake with learners. In October of last year, work on that course was halted. There will be no more development and no more support. The course will still be available to use, but with no further error correction or updates, it will lose relevance and its cut and processed planks will warp and rot. No longer profitable enough for the bosses, it is neglected. The usefulness of Welsh turned it into a commodity for Duolingo and, when no longer deemed useful to the machine, it was abandoned.
Japanese, a language once considered ‘useless’ in western society, is now considered a highly useful language. Latin, once vital, is now ‘useless’ again. Welsh fluctuates on the border of ‘use’ and ‘waste’ by the day. Usefulness is as fickle as the whims of capital. Things that are co-opted by the machine are dropped at an instant again when they no longer make the line go up. A rejection of use, a rejection of deciding how we should spend our time based on what is ‘useful’, frees Kernewek from this abuse.
YOU ARE NOT A COG
“We reject being bought and sold. We feel no shame about turning our backs on a market that wants to eat us alive. We will strategize and collectivize towards uselessness, a failure that imagines, innovates and emancipates.”
Legacy Russell, Glitch Feminism
So, when it comes to why somebody should learn a ‘useless’ language like Kernewek, remember that use is defined by the whims of the money machine. Remember that a life lived only by what is useful is a life lived without art and music and joy. Remember that what is ‘useful’ is what can be used by our capitalist society to make a commodity of us, that what is ‘useful’ to us can be what assigns us to be used and exploited. Remember that what is ‘useless’ is a glitch: a thing of joy and a thing that we can wield to bring down what uses us.
And when Kernewek perhaps is deemed ‘useful’ in the future, remember that we must not be bewitched and that that attention is fickle. Remember Kernewek as glitch.
You were not born to be efficient. You were born to stare out the windows at the world around you. You were born to connect with other humans.
Learn Kernewek. It is joyful powerful rebellious healing useless. Y’know, like a song.
