I’m glad you asked.
Medieval manuscripts scattered after the dissolution of the monesteries. Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (1571-1631) began to bring them back together. His collection became the basis of the British Library.
In that collection is a 12th century copy of a Latin-Cornish glossary, which contains the names of various birds, animals and fish, and other objects from daily life.
It can be found as part of a larger manuscript in the British Library, folios 7r10r of Cotton MS Vespasian A. XIV. Cotton’s manuscripts were kept in presses mounted with the busts of Roman Emperors. The British Library kept Cotton’s sequence in the catalogue, so our glossary was weighed down by Vespasian.
We are unsure of the manuscript origins, but the rest of the manuscript, the greater part is the Lives of Welsh saints, indicates it was not written in Cornwall but more likely South-East Wales.
And the answer to the question? Morhoch.
Here are some more if medieval Cornish is your thing:
Guyn. [White]
Dup. [Black]
Rud. [Red]
Tarnatuan. [Phantom]
Scod. [Shadow]
Hethen. [Bird]
Marburan. [Raven]
Chelioc. [Cock—we are still on birds here]
Hihsommet. [Bat]
Pisc. [Fish]
Moruil. [Whale]
Ehoc. [Salmon]
Cancher. [Crab]
Guitsil. [Beasts]
Bleit. [Wolf]
Leu. [Lion]
Louuern. [Fox]
Uncorn. [Unicorn]
