Learn Late Cornish Bit by Bit 50 (Kith and Kin)

Kith and Kin

car[1] (m) kerens[2] (pl)                 male relative[3], relation, 

                                                        family member, parent

cares (f) caresow (pl)[4]                female relative, relation, family member

kerens (pl)                                      can also be used for parents

coweth(m) cowetha (pl)                male friend(s)

cowethes (f) cowethesow (pl)     female friend(s)

cothman[5](m) cothmans (pl)      male friend(s)

At Christmas, New Year and other festive occasions we like to meet up with family and friends. So what can we say about them? Here’s some of the vocabulary we used in earlier lessons. Notice that we have had two words for father:

Ev a vedh y sira.                             He will be his father.

…gen sira vy ha pemp den moy   with my father and five more men

An tas ew.                                        It’s the father.

Agan Tas nei eus en Nev…            Our Father that is in Heaven…

Vedh hei dama dha?                     Will she be a good mother?

gans o dama                                   with my mother, by my mother

An den a bernas kei rag y vab.    The man bought a dog for his son.

An maw ma ew o mab.                  This boy is my son.

aga broder                                      their brother

reb hy whor                                    beside her sister

Building on these (note the mutations):

sira[6]                                              a father

an sira                                             the father

üdn sira                                           one father, a particular father

sirys                                                 fathers

tas                                                    a father

an tas                                               the father

üdn tas                                             one father, a particular father

tasow                                                fathers

an dasow[7]                                     the fathers

hendas                                              forefather, ancestor

hendasow                                          forefathers, ancestors

ragdas                                               forefather, ancestor

ragdasow[8]                                      forefathers, ancestors

dama                                                  a mother

an dhama                                           the mother

üdn dhama                                        one mother, a particular mother

damyow                                             mothers

an damyow                                        the mothers

We also have a rather more informal version of mother:

mabm                                                 a mother, a mum

an vabm                                             the mother, etc.

üdn vabm                                           one mum, a particular mum

mabmow                                            mums

an mabmow [9]                                  the mums

mab                                                    a son

an mab                                               the son

üdn mab                                             one son, a particular son

mebyon                                              sons

an vebyon                                          the sons

mergh                                                 a daughter

an vergh                                             the daughter

üdn vergh                                          one daughter, a particular daughter

merhes                                               daughters

an merhes                                          the daughters

broder                                                 a brother

an broder                                            the brother

üdn broder                                          one brother, a particular brother

breder                                                  brothers

an vreder                                             the brothers

whor                                                     a sister

an whor                                                the sister

üdn whor                                             one sister, a particular sister

wheredh                                               sisters

an wheredh                                           the sisters

We can use these words with some of our previous vocabulary, e.g.:

Ma üdn whor dhebm.                            I have one sister.

Thera dew[10] vroder dhebm.              I had two brothers.

Ev a welas y vroder[11]de.                   He saw his brother yesterday.

Wrüg hei gweles hy whor Nos Nadelik?          

                                                            Did she see her sister on Christmas Eve?

Na wrüg hei.                                          She did not.

Bes hei wrüg gweles hy thas[12].       But she did see her father.

O dama a gribas hy fedn[13].              My mother combed her hair (head).

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[1] long vowel sound, rather like English [care]

[2] shorter vowels

[3] male plurals are also used for mixed gender groups

[4] note the shift in stress in pronunciation from [KARes] to [karESow]

[5] RLC cuthman (same pronunciation, first vowel is a scwha)

[6] pronounced [zeera]

[7] remember that plurals of masculine people mutate after an

[8] Richard Gendall’s 2000 grammar book is called Tavas a Ragadasow The Language of My Forefathers

[9] remember that plural feminine nouns do not mutate after an the 

[10] dew two causes soft mutation of b>v

[11] soft mutation of b>v after y his

[12] hy her causes spirant mutation of t>th

[13] another spirant mutation after hy her, p>f