Emmet (Cornish)

Emmet is a disparaging nickname that some Cornish people use to refer to the many tourists who visit Cornwall.

Etymology

It is commonly thought to be derived from the Cornish word for ant, being an analogy to the way in which both tourists and ants are often red in colour and appear to mill around. However the use of 'emmet' to mean ants is actually from the Cornish dialect of English and is derived from the Old English word "æmete" from which the modern English word ant, is also derived (compare Modern German "Ameise" [ant] ). The Cornish word for ant is actually "muryon" ("muryonen" (p)) [ An English-Cornish And Cornish-English Dictionary - R. Morton Nance (1955) ] [ Gerlyvrik/Mini-Dictionary - Kesva An Taves Kernewek (2005)) ] [ [http://www.antiqbook.co.uk/boox/johnt/B10358.shtml A Glossary of the Cornish Dialect - p29,42 - K. C. Phillipps 1993 - ISBN 0907018912] ]

Emmet is also sometimes used to refer to non-Cornish people who have moved to Cornwall. Many Cornish people consider Cornwall to be separate from England and so many of these 'emmets' are English who have relocated. This has led to some Cornish residents who consider themselves to be Cornish to display "non-emmet" car stickers.

Porthemmet Beach hoax

In August 2007, Truro born Jonty Haywood created a hoax about a fictional place in North Cornwall, Porthemmet Beach (Port of Emmet), involving fake road signs and a hoax website to confuse tourists and amuse locals. [ [http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/09/27/topless-beach-latest-internet Britain's "only topless beach" doesn't exist - The INQUIRER ] ] cite web|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article3001638.ece|title=Wish you were here? Website lures tourists to imaginary beach|publisher=The Independent|accessdate=2007-09-27] cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article2540977.ece|title=Beach hoax sends tourists on a road to nowhere|publisher=The Times|accessdate=2007-09-27] In July 2008 Haywood placed a further set of signscite web|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/westbriton/Tourist-trap-sign-times/article-218733-detail/article.html|title=Tourist tr
publisher=Cornish Guardian|accessdate=2008-07-22] .

ee also

*Grockle is a similar West Country dialect word used in Devon but "emmet" is distinctly Cornish.
*Cornish self-government movement
*Constitutional status of Cornwall
*Politics of Cornwall
*Mebyon Kernow

References