More Bits of Late Cornish 17 (giving directions 2)

Giving Directions 2

In a previous post we had

Grewgh sewya an vownder.

Follow the lane.

We can extend this with more examples using grewgh, e.g.:

Grewgh sewya an vorr (fordh) …	Follow the road …
Grewgh sewya an trolergh …	Follow the footpath …

Here are some more instructions to help your navigation:

Grewgh tremena an pons …	Cross the bridge…
Grewgh kerdhes dadn an warek …	Walk under the arch…
Grewgh whilas an post arwodh…	Look for the signpost …
Grewgh treylya reb an golowys traffic …	Turn by the traffic lights …
Na wrewgh tremena an lergh …	Do not cross the track …
Grewgh kemeres an vorr (fordh) …	Take the road …

We have already met one true imperative, kewgh go (sometimes written kow):

Kewgh war nans …	Go downhill …
Kewgh war vena …	Go uphill …

Instead of Grewgh kemeres we can also use the true imperative kemerowgh (sometimes abbreviated to kemero’ or kemer’). e.g.

Kemerowgh an vorr (fordh) dhe …	Take the road to …
Kemerowgh an second torn …	Take the second turning …
e’n bar’ gledh	on the left
Kemerowgh an nessa stumm a dhihow.	Take the second (next) turning on the right.

But you still need the compound form for negative instructions, e.g.:

Na wrewgh kemeres an kensa torn …

Do not take the first turning …

In John of Ramshouse, John’s master tells him:

Na wrewgh whei gara an vorr goth rag an vorr nowedh.

Do not (you) leave the old road for the new road.