Note 22 — Chapter XII · Race in Folklore and Myth

The difference between Mod. Welsh cor and Breton korr is one of spelling, for the reformed orthography of Welsh words only doubles the r where it is dwelt on in the accented syllable of a longer word: in other terms, when that syllable closes with the consonant and the next syllable begins with it. Thus cor has, as its derivatives, cór-rach, ‘a dwarf,’ plural co-ráchod, cór-ryn, ‘a male dwarf,’ plural co-rýnnod. Some of these enter into place-names, such as Cwm Corryn near Ỻanaelhaearn (p. 217) and Cwm Corryn draining into the Vale of Neath; so possibly with Corwen for Cor-waen, in the sense of ‘the Fairies’ Meadow.’ Cor and corryn are also used for the spider, as in gwe’r cor or gwe’r corryn, ‘a spider’s web,’ the spider being so called on account of its spinning, an occupation in which the fairies are represented likewise frequently engaged; not to mention that gossamer (gwawn) is also sometimes regarded as a product of the fairy loom (p. 103). The derivation of cor is not satisfactorily cleared up: it has been conjectured to be related to a Med. Irish word cert, ‘small, little,’ and Latin curtus, ‘shortened or mutilated.’ To me this means that the origin of the word still remains to be discovered. ↑