THE GROUND under our feet has shaped the very way we speak.

This is the theory being put forward by an international scientist and filmmaker who grew up in Liskeard.

Geologist Dr Haydon Mort likes to bring the secrets of rocks and landscapes to life in an entertaining way through his You Tube channel Geologize.

His videos are filmed both in his native Cornwall and in Brazil, where he currently lives and works.

Now, the 37 year old plans to create a feature length documentary which shows how our mother tongue is connected to changes in the landscapes around us.

He is crowdfunding the £8000 he needs to make the project a reality.

‘The documentary will describe how events thousands or even millions of years ago were important in shaping the modern English that we speak today,’ said Dr Mort.

‘How did ancient processes give rise to invasions, myths, religion, new vocabulary and new grammatical forms, the very things that make English the way it is today? 

‘Glaciations, rock burial, erosion, volcanism, climate change and freak weather events are just some of the natural factors that will be discussed in the video.’

Part of the documentary will be shot in South East Cornwall, and will showcase the region’s cultural and natural heritage.

‘Of the few Celtic words that survived the Saxon invasion, it is fitting that those that did, tended to represent the apparently eternal and immoveable features of the British landscape,’ says Dr Mort.

‘Words such as beck, bog, dam, comb, crag, glen and tor, to name just a few.’

The concept that the natural world directly influences the content and spread of languages is a new and exciting one, says Dr Mort - and one that is being backed by editor of the journal English Linguistics Alexandra D’Arcy.

Dr Mort’s project also has the support of Dr Iain Stewart - a professor in geocommunication and BBC presenter on series such as ‘How Earth Made Us’ and ‘Earth - Power of the Planet’.

The short films made by Dr Mort so far have been completely self-funded, and filmed using simply a phone.

But the new project will require more time and better equipment, hence the fundraising appeal.

Pledges made by supporters will only be ‘cashed in’ if Dr Mort reaches his target of £8000 - and there are rewards for all who donate to the fund. To find out more visit www.bit.ly/geologizer