Learn Late Cornish Bit by Bit 76 (About Possession)

A Bit About Possession

We have seen how possession can be indicated by the use of a personal pronoun after a noun or by the use of a possessive adjective in front of a noun, e.g.:

an cota ev                 his coat (colloquial)

y gota                        his coat (better stylistically)

y gota ev                   his coat (emphatic)

What if you want to specify a name or a noun as the possessor? Put the name or noun where the pronoun goes (as if it were an adjective), e.g.:

cota Jory                  George’s coat

cota den                    a man’s coat, the coat of a man

cota an den[1]          the man’s  coat, the coat of the man

If you want the equivalent of an English article of men’s wear you have to use a different word:

cota rag gwer             a man’s coat, a coat for men (males)

an cota rag gwer        the man’s coat, the coat for men (males)

Put adjectives in where appropriate, e.g.:

cota an den coth                            the old man’s coat, the coat of the old man

cota coth an den                            the man’s old coat, the old coat of the man

cota nowyth an venyn goth         the old woman’s new coat,

                                                        the new coat of the old woman

Here are some from Alys en Pow an Anethow:

lever hy whor                                 her sister’s book

toll conines                                    a rabbits’ hole

onan a vanegow bian an Conin  one of the Rabbit’s little gloves

lost an Logojen                             the Mouse’s tail

 pedn an Gwas                              the Footman’s head

lev an Vetêrnes                             the Queen’s voice

argument an Metêrn                     the King’s argument

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[1]  not an cota an den (no need for two definite artices)