Tuesday 25 October 2016

Taking a new look at Cornish grammar 7 (predicate with place)

The verb “to be” for use with location

We can use boas locative with a location in our predicate. In English a simple example would be "here" or "there", which are adverbs of location (they modify the verb), e.g. "I am here." or "You are there." Notice that, without another verb, we do not need the verbal particle o, ow or owth.
In some sentences it is easy to see which is the subject and which is the predicate, e.g. subject black, predicate coloured. In others it is not so easy; the subject and the verb are combined in a single word.
Thero vy obma.
Yth esov vy omma.
I am here.
Thesta obma.
Yth esos ta omma.
You are here
Ma va obma.
Yma ev omma.
He/it is here.
Ma hei obma.
Yma hi omma.
She/it is here.
Thero nei ena.
Yth eson ni ena.
We are there.
Thero whei ena.
Yth esowgh hwi ena.
You are there.
Ma anjei ena.
Mowns ena.
Ymons i ena.
They are there.

In the case of Mowns ena (from SWFM "Ymons i ena"), it is difficult to see which part of the word is the subject in SWFLt. It seems to have got lost, at least as far as spelling is concerned! The subject is integrated rather than written separately.

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