Friday 9 September 2016

Writing a Diary 9 (years you did things)

Years you did things.
After days/months for doing things, now we look at a longer time frame:

en termin eus passyes[1] (SWFM yn termyn eus passys)
 in a time that is past,
in the past
e’n vledhen eus passyes
in the past year
warlena    
last year
termin pell alebma
(SWFM termyn pell alemma)
long ago (a time far from here)
termin me a veu yonk[2]
when I was young
nanj ew pell
(SWFM nans yw pell)
long ago
nanj ew neppell                  
not long ago
nanj ew pemp bledhen
five years ago
nanj ew cansvledhen        
a century ago
nanj ew diw gansvledhen
two centuries ago
solabres
(SWFM seulabrys)
in the past, already
en ügensves cansvledhen         
in the twentieth century
Here are some sample sentences:
Me a dheskas Kernowek e’n vledhen eus passyes.
I learnt Cornish in the past year.

Me a veu genys en ügensves cansvledhen.
I was born in the 20th century.

Me eth dhe scol nanj ew pell.
I went to school long ago.
Me a dheuth dhe Kernow warlena.
I came to Cornwall last year.

Glasson a verwas en mil naw cans seytek warn ügens.
Glasson died in 1937.

Me a bernas carr en mil naw cans deg ha trei ügens.
I bought a car in 1970.

Me a janjyas chei en diw mil ha pajar.
I moved house in 2004.




[1] You can also use <eus passyes> that is past with other times, e.g. <e’n mis eus passyes> in the past month, <e’n misyow eus passyes> in the past months, <e’n seythen eus passyes> in the past week, <e’n seythednow eus passyes> in the past weeks, <e’n dedhyow eus passyes> in the past days
[2]  In 1776 William Bodinar wrote Mee rig deskey Cornoack termen me vee mawe.I did learn (I learnt) Cornish when I was a boy.

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