At Home With Cornish 21

Constructions used in At Home with Cornish

Kernowek en Chei

Blogs 1-20 Part 1

These blogs are based on the assumption that children learn by asking questions. See the questions in red.  These extra notes are in case parents and teachers would like a bit more explanation.

It is amazing how much you can do with the verb bos (to be, being) and a minimum number of other verbs!

 

1.   With the verb bos (to be) descriptive, 1st person singular:

 

X o vy - with maximum emphasis on descriptor

Tho vy x - with less emphasis on descriptor

 

Tho is a contraction of Eth o vy where Eth (earlier Yth) is a verbal particle that stops the sentence being a question.

O vy x? Am I x?       e.g. O vy gòcky?    Am I silly?

Gòcky o vy. I am silly!    Tho vy gòcky!  I am silly!

 

Name + o vy             e.g. Peder o vy.                  I'm Peter.

Noun + o vy              e.g. Maw o vy.                    I'm a boy.

Adjective + o vy       e.g. Lôwen o vy.                 I'm happy.

Trigys + o vy en x    e.g. Trigys o vy en Truru.  I live in Truro.  

(verbal adjective + o vy)                         (literally     Resided am I in Truro.)

X bloodh o vy.           e.g. Naw bloodh o vy.        

(adjectival phrase + o vy)

 

2.   With bos descriptive, 2nd person singular

 

Piw os ta?                     Who are you?

Pes bloodh os ta?        How old are you?

Pe lies bloodh os ta?   (Which many years of age are you?)

 

3.   With bos descriptive, 3rd person

 

Pandr'ew hebma?      What is this?

Pandr'ew an re ma?   What are these?

Pandr'ew is a contraction of Pandra + ew

Pandra is a contraction of Pe (which) + an dra (the thing)

 

Pe liw ew hebma?      What/which colour is this?

Pe liw ew x?                What/which colour is x?

                                      e.g. Pe liw ew an mor? What colour is the sea?

Pe liw ew an re ma?     What colour are these?

 

X + ew                            It is x (singular)

X + ew + subject           e.g. Glas ew an mor. The sea is blue(etc.).

X + ens                          They are x (plural)   

Ew hebma x?                Is this (a) x?

Ew an re ma x?             Are these x?     

Ea, ew.                           Yes, it is.

Na, nag ew.                    No, it's not.

Ew hebma x po y?        Is this x or y?

 

Noun + ew                          e.g. Kei ew. It's a dog.

Adjective + ew                   e.g. Dû ew. It's black.

Subject + ew + descriptor. e.g. Bloodh vy ew naw. My age is nine.

         

4.   Passive construction using ew (is) + gen (with or by)

 

Da ew gen …                   (literally Good is with/by …)

Cas ew gen …                 (literally Hate/war is with/by …)

Drog ew gen …               (literally Bad is with/by …)

Ew da/cas/drog gen …? (literally Is good/hate/bad with/by … ?)

 

Think of English "That's OK by me." Hedna ew da lowr genam.

  - it also means "I quite like that."

 

Da ew genam x              I like x (emphasis on like)

X ew da genam              I like x (emphasis on x)

Cas ew genam x            I hate x

X ew cas genam            I hate x

Drog ew genam x          I dislike x

X ew drog genam          I dislike x

 

Drog ew genam!  also means "Sorry!"

    

Ew da genes x?               Do you like x?

Ew cas genes x?              Do you hate x?

Ew drog genes x?            Do you dislike x?

Pandr'ew da genes?        What do you like?

Pandr'ew cas genes?      What do you hate?

Pandr'ew drog genes?    What do you dislike?

 

X may be a noun or a verb (verbal noun) e.g.

Da ew genam dehen rew. I like ice cream.

Da ew genam cana.           I like to sing.

 

If you are ambitious and want to use these constructions for other persons, you need the paradigm for gen + personal pronouns.

 

genam with/by me             genen with/by us

genes   with/by you           genowgh with/by you (plural or formal)

ganjo    with/by him           ganjans with by them (no gender difference)

genjy    with/by her

 

You will need this paradigm for other constructions in later blogs.

 

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