Tuesday 31 May 2016

Tabm a Gernow 43 (white flowers)

Flourys gwydn en gwenton; en kensa ma spern dû, nessa ma spern gwydn ha nena ma scaw.  Overdevys gen dreys coth ew an scawen ma. Possybyl ew dhe wil dewes scaw sawrek po gwin scaw delicyous gen flourys scaw. Possybyl ew, saw nag eus gwres genam whath! Thera vy o perna dewes scaw ha gwin scaw en botlow dhort gorvarhas. 



An tir wast ma a veu clerys en termyn eus passyes (rag byldya dew chei) bes lebmyn leun a flourys gwydn ew. (Na veu cübmyas derevyans res.) Thew an flourys ma cajow broas.


Personal Likes and Dislikes 12 (eating and drinking)

You can use <Da ew genam debry …> and <Da ew genam eva …> to talk about what you like to eat and drink at Christmas (Nadelik), Easter (Pask) and other times of the year.
It is also possible to use the present-future of the verb <debry> to eat and <eva> to drink to talk about what you traditionally consume at these times.
so
me a dhebar  
I eat
me a ev  
I drink

In speech we may leave out the verbal particle “a” before a vowel. You may hear
me dhebar  
I eat
me ev  
I drink

In Late Cornish we prefer to use the more idiomatic
Thera vy o longya dhe dhebry …
I belong to (I usually) eat …
Thera vy o longya dhe eva…
I belong to (I usually) drink …

and making it more specific to the occasion, you might say:
Rag kidnyow Nadelik thew da genam debry …
For Christmas dinner I like to eat …
War Bask thera vy longya dhe dhebry …
At Easter I usually eat …
Termyn Nadelik me a dhebar …
At Christmas time I eat …
En termyn hav thera vy o longya dhe eva…
In summer time I usually drink …
En gwav me a ev …
In winter I drink …

If you are talking about an occasion that has gone by:
Nadelik eus passyes, me a dhabras …
(RMC Nadelik eus passyes y tybis vy …)
Last Christmas (Christmas past) I ate …

War Bask me a dhabras lies oy chocolat.
At Easter I ate lots of chocolate eggs.
Me a evas …
I drank …



Sunday 29 May 2016

Personal Likes and Dislikes 11 (wearing clothes)

It is possible to use the simplified present-future monoform of the verb <degy> or <doan> to wear to describe what you wear all the time (though not to describe what you are currently wearing).
so     me a dheg  I wear
          te a dheg  you wear (familiar, singular)
          ev a dheg  he wears
          hei a dheg  she wears
          nei a dheg  we wear
          whei a dheg  you wear (formal and/or plural)
          anjei a dheg  they wear
In speech we may leave out the verbal particle “a”. You may hear and say “me dheg, etc.
Here are some clothes <dillas> you might need:
botas
boots
cardigan
SWFM kardigan
cardigan
cota
SWFM kota
coat
cota glaw
SWFM kota glaw
raincoat
cres
SWFM krys
shirt
cres nos
SWFM krys nos
night shirt
cres T
SWFM krys T
T shirt
crespows
SWFM kryspows
waistcoat
diwvrodner
SWFM diwvronner
bra
golesen          
petticoat
goon
habit
gwlanek
jumper (woolly)
hevis
blouse
hosenow
tights
islavrek
knickers
jerkyn
jacket, waistcoat
lavrek
trousers
lavrek berr
shorts
lavrek bian
SWFM lavrek bihan
underpants
lavrek jin
jeans
lien codna
SWFM lien konna
scarf
lodrigow
socks
lodrow
stockings
losten
skirt
manegow
gloves
mantel
cloak, robe
mantel law
raincoat
mantel nos
dressing gown
pawgednow
SWFM pawgennow
slippers, socks
pows
dress
pows nos
nightie
sewt
suit
skijyow
SWFM eskisyow
shoes
skijyow sport
trainers

You can also say the more idiomatic:

Thera vy longya dhe dhegy/dhoan …
I belong to wear …


                                                

Thursday 26 May 2016

Tabm a Gernow 42 (hawthorn and wild garlic)

Da ew genam mis Me. Me a gar mis Me. Mis Me ew an gwella mis. Ma flourys wheg dhe delîtya agan lagajow. Ma sawarnow wheg dhe blegya agan frejow. Ma sawarn wheg dhe spern gwydn. An buddys spernen ma a egeras namnygen. Ma flourys an spern gwydn egery òja an delkyow. Deffrans ew spern dû ort spern gwydn. Ma flourys spern dû o toas kens an delkyow, ha nag eus sawarn wheg dhodhans. Ma odhom a drumbeldranow (bumblebees) ha prevas erel dhe dhegy bleus an flourys tredh üdn flour hag y gila. 
Otta drumbeldran, gen y lost rüdh, war flourys kennin gwels. Nag ew an sawarn mar wheg es spern gwydn. Nag ew an sawarn wheg dhebm, tabm veth, saw plegadow ew dhe'n drumbeldran.


Personal Likes and Dislikes 10 (present-future tense)

We have met several examples of the simplified present-future monoform, e.g. <me a gar> I love, <me a wary> I play (games), <me a son>, I play (instruments), etc. It is also useful to be able to say that we know how to do something, that we can do something. (This will obviously affect whether or not you like doing something.) For this we use the verb <godhvos> to know rather than <gallos> to be able followed by the verb for whatever it is you can do:
so  (in SWFLt)   
me a or  
I know (how to), I can
te a or  
you know (how to), you can (familiar, singular)
ev a or  
he knows (how to), he can
hei a or  
she knows (how to), she can
nei a or  
we know (how to), we can
whei a or  
you know (how to), you can (formal and/or plural)
anjei a or  
they know (how to), they can

In speech we may leave out the verbal particle “a”. You will hear and say me or”, etc.
me or gwary
I can play (games)
me or seny
I can play (instruments)

Examples:
Me or gwary rugby.
I can play rugby.
Che or gwary pel droos.
You can play football.
Hei or gwary golf.
She can play golf.
Ev or neyja.
He can swim.
Nei or clappya Kernowek.
We can speak Cornish.
Whei or seny piano. Na ora’vy.
You can play the piano. I can’t.
Anjei or golya aga scath.
They can sail their boat.

Here are some additional verbs that you might want to use with “me or, etc.

delinya
draw
diwrosa
ride a bike
gwary gwydhbol
play chess
gwia
knit, weave
gwrias
sew
lewya
drive
limna
paint
marhogeth
ride a horse
mordardha
surf
pobas
bake
redya musik
read music
rostella
skateboard
sedhy
dive
seny gitar
play the guitar
skesya war rew
ice skate
skia
ski
scrifa
write



Wednesday 25 May 2016

Personal Likes and Dislikes 9 (conjunctions)

We’ve looked at various ways of saying what we like, do not like, love, hate, prefer, etc. in short, simple sentences. Now we will look at several ways of combining some of these into longer, more complex ones.

ha (may be hag before a vowel)
and
bes (SWFM mes)       
but
po
or
saw 
but, except
keth[1] (SWFM kynth) (before a vowel)
although, though
ke[2] (SWFM kyn) (before a consonant)
although, though
rag hedna (SWFM rag henna)
thus, so
alena        
thus, so
etho (SWFM ytho)
thus, so
dres oll    
particularly
                                               
Here are some examples:

Da ew genam eva cor ha da ew genam debry hogednow.
I like drinking beer and I like eating pasties.
Da ew genam cor bes nag ew da genam cider. 
I like beer but I don’t like cider.
Da ew genam eva coffy tòbm po dowr gen rew.
I like to drink hot coffee or iced water.
Del ew ûsys me a gar gwin, saw nag ew da genam an gwin na.
Usually I love wine, except I do not like that wine.
Kenth ew da genam gwin rüdh, nag ew da genam gwin gwydn.
Although I like red wine, I do not like white wine. 
Da ew genam diwosow yagh, rag hedna gwell ew genam eva dowr.
I like healthy drinks, so I prefer drinking water.
Nag ew da genam diwosow tòbm, etho nag ew da genam eva coffy.
I do not like hot drinks, so I do not like drinking coffee.
Bestes ew da genam, bes me a gar mergh dres oll           
I like animals, but I particularly love horses.
Kenth ew da genam bestes broas, cas ew genam corrvestes.
Although I like big animals I hate mini-beasts( “creepy-crawlies”).
Ken nag ew da genam corrvestes, cas ew genam gwibes dres oll.
Although I do not like mini-beasts, I hate gnats particularly.



[1] you may also see <kenth> for <keth> and <ken> for <ke> , RG has <kyth>, <ky>
[2]  causes some consonants to mutate – this will be dealt with later