Writing a Diary 20 (have you? and I have not)

We saw in Writing a Diary 16 how to use the compound preterite to ask a question in the past tense, e.g. We could say

A wresta gweles golow?	Did you see a light?
Wrüga whei gweles an golow na?	Did you see that light?

         

Asking questions in the perfect tense is simple in English but not in Cornish. There do not seem to be any attested examples of the use of the perfect particle in questions[1].

Middle Cornish just uses the compound preterite.

In Late Cornish if you want to ask someone if they have done something you can again use the passive voice (see Writing a Diary 19).

So “Have you seen?” becomes “Is there seen by you?

Eus gwelys genes? (familiar)

Eus gwelys gena whei? (formal or plural).

eus is the question equivalent of ma = is there?

gwelys is the verbal adjective (as before) = seen

gena whei or genes are the contracted forms of gen with/by plus the personal pronouns.

Eus gwelys genes golow?	Have you seen a light?
Eus gwelys gena whei an golow?	Have you seen the light?
Eus gwelys genes an golow na kens lebmyn?	Have you seen that light before now?

      

Here are some more examples using other verbs:

Eus clowys gena whei an nowodhow?	Have you heard the news?
Eus redyes genes an lever ma?	Have you read this book?
Eus dres gena whei agas mòna?	Have you brought your money?
Eus pernys genes dillas nowedh agensow?	Have you bought (any) new clothes recently?
Eus spendys gena whei cans pens?	Have you spent £100?
Eus res genes ro dhe dha dhama?	Have you given a present to your mother?
Eus kevys gena whei agas alwedhow?	Have you found your keys?
Eus kellys genes dha skians?	Have you lost your wits?
Eus nakevys gena whei agas token?	Have you forgotten your ticket?

                  

And for a negative answer you just put <nag> before <eus>, e.g.

Nag eus remembrys genam o sagh.	I have not remembered my bag.
Nag eus gasowys genam orth an radyo alergh.	I have not listened to the radio lately.

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[1]  A rather archaic Middle Cornish negative might be <ny welis vy>