Tuesday 7 June 2016

Marhasna 1 (reasons for shopping)


Whether we like it or not, and whether we do it for ourselves or not, shopping forms an important part of our lives, so let’s have a look at some of the vocabulary. 

First of all, the motivation!

Thera vy o marhasna[1].
I’m going shopping.
Thera vy o perna neppeth wheg[2].           
I’m buying something nice
Keth marhasna o vy[3].
I’m a shopping addict.
Sqwithys o vy.        
I am bored.
Marhasna ew da genam. 
I like shopping.
Ma dhebm mona dhe spendya. 
I have money to spend.
An copart ew gwag.           [4]
The cupboard is empty.
Ma dhebm tabm termyn gwag.
I have a bit of spare time.
Gwag o vy.  
I am hungry.
Ma odhom dhebm a voos.
I need food.
Nag eus traveth dhe eva.
There is nothing to drink.
Me a goodh cawas gwin moy.
I ought to get more wine.
Re vian ew oll o dillas vy.
All my clothes are too small.
Nag eus dhebm traveth vas dhe dhegy.
I have nothing suitable to wear.
Ma whans dhebm a skijyow nowydh.
I want some new shoes.
Res ew dhebm perna ro. 
I must buy a present.
Besy ew dhebm cavas lever da.
I have to find a good book.

There is obviously scope to use some of these expressions as a pattern for other sentences, using different subjects, objects, adjectives, etc. 

For beginners, more vocabulary about shopping can be found in the Oxford Children’s Cornish-English Visual Dictionary (ISBN 978-0-19-273560-7).




[1]  This is the locative (”long”) form of the verb to be.  In Middle Cornish with “main form”  SWF (SWFM) it would be  Yth esov vy ow marghasna.
[2]  alternative (SWFM) spelling hweg
[3]  This is the descriptive form of the verb to be. Keth actually means slave
[4]  This sentence and the two that follow show three different uses for the adjective <gwag>:  empty, hungry and spare

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