At Home With Cornish 37

Here's some shape-shifting (mutation) practice.

Let's see what we can do with two feminine words:

edhen bird

gwedhen tree

Ma edhen en gwedhen. There's a bird in a tree.

Ma'n edhen e'n wedhen. The bird is in the tree.

 

To ask "What is there …?" or "What's (there) …?" you can use

Pandr'eus …?

Peth eus …?

Pandr'eus e'n …? What is there in the …?

Peth eus e'n …? What's in the …?

Pandr'eus e'n wedhen? What is there in the tree?

Peth eus e'n wedhen?  What's in the tree?

 

Ma cath e'n wedhen. There's a cat in the tree.

Ma'n gath e'n wedhen. The cat is in the tree.

(Possessives cause different mutations.)

Ma agan cath e'n wedhen. Our cat is in the tree.

Ma ow hath e'n wedhen. My cat is in the tree.

Now, let's imagine this is a rather strange tree with plenty of room!

Can you choose the correct word to go in the gap?

Ma bûgh e'n wedhen. There's a cow in the tree.

Ma'n ____ e'n wedhen. The cow is in the tree. (bûgh/vûgh/mûgh)

 

Ma gaver en gwedhen. 

There's a goat in a tree.

Ma'n ____ e'n wedhen. 

The goat is in the tree. (gaver/aver/caver)

Ma margh e'n wedhen. There's a horse in the tree.

Ma'n _____ e'n wedhen. The horse is in the tree. (margh/vargh/bargh)

but plural horses:

Ma'n vergh e'n wedhen. The horses are in the tree.

 

Ma cador e'n wedhen. There's a chair in the tree.

Ma'n …. e'n wedhen. The chair is in the tree. (cador/gador/hador)

 

Ma davas e'n wedhen. There's a sheep in the tree.

Ma'n …. e'n wedhen. The sheep is in the tree. (davas/dhavas/tavas)

 

Ma kei e'n wedhen. There's a dog in the tree.

Ma'n …. e'n wedhen. The dog is in the tree. (kei/gei/hei)

but:

Ma y gei e'n wedhen. His dog is in the tree.

 

Ma lever e'n wedhen. There's a book in the tree.

Ma'n lever e'n wedhen. The book is in the tree.

 

Ma descadores e'n wedhen. There's a teacher in the tree.

Ma'n dhescadores e'n wedhen. The teacher is in the tree.

 

Adjectives can shape shift too, after feminine singular nouns (but not after masculine singular nouns):

Ma maw bian e'n wedhen. There's a small boy in the tree.

Ma mos (mowes) vian e'n wedhen. There's a little girl in the tree.

 

A noun used as an adjective doesn't mutate after a masculine noun (even if it is feminine itself).

Ma chei-gwedhen e'n wedhen. There's a tree-house in the tree.

 

We could also ask:

Pandr'eus e'n gegin? What is there in the kitchen?

Peth eus e'n gegin?  What's in the kitchen?

 

Ma banana e'n gegin. There's a banana in the kitchen.

Ma'n banana e'n gegin. The banana is in the kitchen.

Ma'n banana Gabriel e'n gegin. Gabriel's banana is in the kitchen.

Ma bord e'n gegin. There's a table in the kitchen.

 

Peth eus e'n gibel? What's in the bath?

Ma hos rubber e'n gibel. There's a rubber duck in the bath.

Ma'n hos rubber e'n gibel. The rubber duck is in the bath.

Ma davas en kibel. There's a sheep in a bath.

Ma'n dhavas e'n gibel. The sheep is in the bath.

 

Or we could ask:

Pe le ma'n …? Where is the …?

 

Pe le ma'n gath? Where is the cat?

Pe le ma'n kei? Where's the dog?

 

Ma'n gath en gwedhen. The cat is in a tree.

Ma'n kei e'n lowarth. The dog is in the garden.