Personal Activities 9 (boas locative question and negative)

We have looked at examples of the use of the verb <boas> (SWFM bos) to be, being in its “locative” form, which is used with locations and actions (what some people call the “long” form). Here is a summary, including the verbal particle (not needed with a preposition), which is equivalent to adding “-ing” to the end of English verbs. (Remember that in rapid speech the verbal particle is often left out.):

thero vy o … therama o … theram …                     (SWFM yth esov vy ow …)	I am …ing
thesta o ... (singular familiar)   (SWFM yth esos ta ow ...)	you are … ing thou art …ing
ma va o …                                   (SWFM yma ev ow …)	he is …ing
ma hei o …                  (SWFM yma hi ow …)	she is …ing
thero nei o …                        (SWFM yth eson ni ow …)	we are …ing
thero whei o … (formal or plural) (SWFM yth esowgh hwi ow ….)	you are …ing
môns o … ma anjei o … (more emphatic) (SWFM ymons i ow …)	they are …ing

Here are the question and negative forms:

ero vy o …? erama o …? eram o …? (SWFM esov vy ow …?)	am I … ing?
esta o ...? (familiar singular)    (SWFM esos ta ow …?)	are you … ing? art thou … ing?
üjy va o …? (SWFM usi ev ow …?)	is he … ing?
üjy hei o …?      (SWFM usi hi ow …?)	is she … ing?
ero nei o …?      (SWFM eson ni ow …?)	are we … ing?
ero whei o …? (formal or plural) (SWFM esowgh hwi ow …?)	are you … ing?
üjens o …? üjy anjei o …? (more emphatic) (SWFM usens i ow …?)	are they … ing?
nag ero vy o … nag erama o … nag eram o … (SWFM nyns esov vy ow …)	I am not … ing
nag esta o ... (familiar singular) (SWFM nyns esos ta ow …)	you are not … ing thou art not … ing
nag üjy va o … (SWFM nyns usi ev ow …)	he is not … ing
nag üjy hei o … (SWFM nyns usi hi ow …)	she is not … ing
nag ero nei o … (SWFM nyns eson ni ow …)	we are not … ing
nag ero whei o … (formal or plural) (SWFM nyns esowgh hwi ow …)	you are not … ing
nag üjens o … nag üjy anjei o … (more emphatic) (SWFM nyns usens i ow …)	they are not … ing

The <ma> and <üjy> forms can also be used with singular or plural nouns and with names instead of pronouns, e.g.:

Ma den o ...	A man is …ing
Ma Jowan ha Peder o ...	John and Peter are …ing
Üjy an flehes o …?	Are the children …ing?
Nag üjy Jana o ...	Jane is not …ing

                              

         

                              

                             

Personal Activities 8

Here’s how you confirm or deny an activity:

Esta o scrifa?                        (SWFM Esos ta ow skrifa?)	Are you writing? (fam. sing.)
Eram.  Thero vy o scrifa.    (SWFM Esov. Yth esov vy ow skrifa.)	Yes, I am. I am writing.
Ha whei. Ero whei o scrifa lether?                (SWFM Esowgh hwi ow skrifa lyther?)	And you. Are you writing a letter?
Nag eram.  Nag ero vy o scrifa lether.      (SWFM Nag esov. Nyns esov vy ow skrifa lyther.)	No, I’m not. I am not writing a letter.
Pandr’ero vy o cül?             (SWFM Pyth esov vy ow kul?)	What am I doing?
Thero vy o scrifa drolla.     (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa drolla.)	I am writing a story.
Pandr’ero nei o cül?           (SWFM Pyth eson ni ow kul?)	What are we doing?
Thero nei o whesa.              (SWFM Yth eson ni ow hwesa.)	We are sweating (i.e. working hard).
Ero whei o whesa e’n gwir? (SWFM Esowgh hwi ow hwesa y’n gwir?)	Are you really sweating?
Nag eron.  Nag ero nei o whesa.      (SWFM Nag eson. Nyns eson ni ow hwesa.)	No. We are not. We are not sweating.
Thero nei o tisquitha.         (SWFM Yth eson ni ow tiskwitha.)	We are relaxing.
Üjy va o redya lever?                 (SWFM Usi ev ow redya lyver?)	Is he reading a book?
Nag üjy. Nag üjy va o redya lever.         (SWFM Nag usi. Nyns usi ev ow redya lyver.)	No, he’s not. He’s not reading a book.
Ma va o redya lether.           (SWFM Yma ev ow redya.)	He is reading a letter.
Üjy hei ow redya lether e’wedh?    (SWFM Usi hi ow redya lyther ynwedh?)	Is she reading a letter as well?
Üjy. Ma hei o redya lether e’wedh.               (SWFM Usi. Usi hi ow redya lyther ynwedh.)	She is. She is reading a letter as well.

Tabm a Gernow 32 (muddy footprints)

Stag, prei, poll ha leyj ew henwyn rag an keth tra - rag dor po gweres gleb. Ma stag lowr en Kernow. En Carnon Downs ema bownder henwys "Staggy Lane", ke nag ewa leyjek lebmyn. Òja glaw, leyjek ew lies vorrow (fordhow) broas ha bian. Nei ell gweles piw üjy o ûsya an vorrow ma. Nei ell gweles aga olow. Rag sampel, tractor, gen rosow broas, a wrüg drîvya war brei ma.

Rag sampel aral, best a wrüg kerres (kerdhes) e'n stag ma. Pehen o an best? Na ora vy. Martesen lowarn o va, po martesen nag o bes kei kebmyn.

Ello whei gweles agas honan?


An ol ma a veu gwres gen edhen broas lowr. Ma trei bes troos arag ha üdn bes troos adhelergh. Nag eus gwias tredh an besyas troos, etho na veu gwres gen edhen dhowr. Bran a'n gwres, dres lycklod.

Ma olow en gwelow, e'wedh. Hebm'ew ol ros tractor. Nag era stag saw pur vedhel o an dor gleb. 

Tabm a Gernow 31

Ma tollow en Kernow. Leun a dollow ew Kernow. Ma tollow broas ha tollow bian. 

Otta toll bian en ke, gwres gen best bian. Ma idhyow glas oll adro. Re vian ew ev rag toll cònin. Martesen rath po meder (field mouse) a'n gwres.

Ma'n toll broas ma dreth ke coth an trenewen dh'y gila. Gwres ew ev, car dre hevel, gen dorgy. An brogh ell tremena dhort an gwel ma dhe'n gwel aral heb odhom a grambla adres an ke.  Nei ell gweles gwredhyow dadn an dor. Ma idhyow obma ewedh, keffres ha cous (wall pennywort).

Ma toll broas obma, pallys gen tüs, rag tedna mes men. Mengleudh ew ev. Nag eus best etto. Nag ew ev toll godhvil. Ûsys ew an men rag bildya treven rag tüs po skiberyow rag bestes wharhes.

Ma toll dadn an dor obma, palys gen gòdhor. Na ellama gweles an toll, bes ma pilyow gòdhor dhe voas gweles.

An gòdhor trüan ma a dheuth mes a y doll, soweth. Carr a dheuth en kettermin, en sewyans an gòdhor a veu gwasgys.

Ma lies toll bian reb gwredhyow gwels. Ma drumbel dran ma o whilas toll rag neyth e'mesk an brially. Nag eus cawel gwenen dhe'n dran.

Personal Acivities 7 (what are you doing)

The simplest verbs are those that can be used without an object. For the continuous present tense these are used with an appropriate locative part of boas to be plus the continuous verbal particle (whether or not this is actually said or written). Here are some examples of questions and answers (with or without objects):

Pandr’esta o cül? (SWFM Pyth esos ta ow kul?)	What are you doing? (familiar singular)
Pandr’ero whei o cül? (SWFM Pyth esowgh hwi ow kul?)	What are you doing? (plural or formal singular)
Pandr’ero vy o cül? (SWFM Pyth esov vy ow kul?)	What am I doing?
Thero vy o scrifa. (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa.)	I am writing.
Thero vy o scrifa drolla. (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa drolla.)	I am writing a story.
Pandr’ero nei o cül? (SWFM Pyth eson ni ow kul?)	What are we doing?
Thero nei o whesa. (SWFM Yth eson ni ow hwesa.)	We are sweating (i.e. working hard).
Pandr’uji va o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi ev ow kul?)	What is he doing?
Ma va o redya. (SWFM Yma ev ow redya.)	He is reading.
Ma va o redya whedhel. (SWFM Yma ev ow redya hwedhel.)	He is reading a story.
Pandr’uji hei o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi hi ow kul?)	What is she doing?
Ma hei o redya story.               (SWFM Yma hi ow redya stori.)	She is reading a story.
Pandr’ujens o cül? (SWFM Pyth usons i ow kul?)	What are they doing?
Môns o plottya. (SWFM Ymons i ow plottya.)	They are plotting.
Môns o tevisya towlednow.(SWFM Ymons i ow tevisya towlennow.)	They are inventing programmes.

Personal Activities 6

We have seen how we can make positive (affirmative) statements about what we and others do. Now we need to look at questions about activities.

Here are some examples, including ones we have met before. This is the formal or plural version, which is used more often in Late Cornish, unless talking to ones nearest and dearest. (The question of social inferiors should not arise in this day and age!):

Pandr’ew agas soodh? (SWFM Pyth yw agas soodh?)	What is your occupation? What is your job?
Pandr’ew agas whel? (SWFM Pyth yw agas hwel?)	What is your work?
Pe le thero whei obery? (SWFM Pleth esowgh hwi owth oberi?)	Where are you working? Where do you work?
Pandr’ero whei o cül? (SWFM Pyth esowgh hwi ow kul?)	What are you doing? What do you do?
Ero whei obery? (SWFM Esowgh hwi owth oberi?)	Are you working? Do you work?
Eus whel dhe whei? (SWFM Eus hwel dhe hwi?)	Do you have work? Do you have a job?

If we are talking about other people we need to use the 3^rd person equivalents. This sometimes brings in a new part of boas to be, which is <üjy> (rhymes with English “squidgy”!):

3^rd person masculine

Pandr’ew y soodh? (SWFM Pyth yw y soodh?)	What is his occupation? What is his job?
Pandr’ew y whel? (SWFM Pyth yw y hwel?)	What is his work?
Pe le ma va obery? (SWFM Pleth yma ev owth oberi?)	Where is he working? Where does he work?
Pandr’üjy va o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi ev ow kul?)	What is he doing? What does he do?
Üjy va obery? (SWFM Usi ev owth oberi?)	Is he working? Does he work?
Eus whel dhodho? (SWFM Eus hwel dhodho?)	Does he have work? Does he have a job?

3^rd person feminine

Pandr’ew hy soodh? (SWFM Pyth yw hy soodh?)	What is her occupation? What is her job?
Pandr’ew hy whel? (SWFM Pyth yw hy hwel?)	What is her work?
Pe le ma hei obery? (SWFM Pleth yma hi owth oberi?)	Where is she working? Where does he work?
Pandr’üjy hei o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi hi ow kul?)	What is she doing? What does he do?
Üjy hei obery? (SWFM Usi hi owth oberi?)	Is she working? Does she work?
Eus whel dhedhy? (SWFM Eus hwel dhedhi?)	Does she have work? Does she have a job?

3^rd person plural

Pandr’ew aga soodh? (SWFM Pyth yw aga soodh?)	What is their occupation? What is their job?
Pandr’ew aga whel? (SWFM Pyth yw aga hwel?)	What is their work?
Pe le môns obery? (SWFM Ple ymons i owth oberi?)	Where are they working? Where do they work?
Pandr’üjens o cül? (SWFM Pyth usons i ow kul?)	What are they doing? What do they do?
Üjens obery? (SWFM Esons i owth oberi?)	Are they working? Do they work?
Eus whel dhodhans? (SWFM Eus hwel dhedha?)	Do they have work?

A negative statement is based on the question form, e.g.:

Nag ero whei obery. (SWFM Nyns esowgh hwi owth oberi.)	You are not working.
Nag eus whel dhodho. (SWFM Nyns eus hwel dhodho.)	He does not have work. He is out of work. He does not have a job.
Nag üjy hei o cül tra veth. (SWFM Nyns usi hi ow kul tra vyth)	She is not doing anything.
Nag üjens obery. (SWFM Nyns esons i owth oberi.)	They are not working.