Taking a new look at Cornish grammar 8 (definite and demonstrative subjects)

Definite and demonstrative subjects.

If we use a noun on its own as our subject, it implies the indefinite article and is subsequently rather vague. “A dog is playing” could be any dog. But is we say “The dog is playing” it is more definite. And “That dog is playing” goes even further.  In Cornish, an (’n after a vowel) is the definite article before the noun. If we also put the demonstrative adjectives, ma or na, after the noun we can achieve “this”, “these”, “that” or “these”. You use ma (short for obma SWFM omma here¹) and na (short for ena there) for both singular and plural. Some people like to use a hyphen with ma and na.

In the present continuous:

Ma kei o qwary. SWFM Yma ki ow kwari.	A dog is playing.
Ma keun o qwary. SWFM Yma keun ow kwari.	Dogs are playing.
Ma’n kei o qwary. SWFM Yma’n ki ow kwari.	The dog is playing.
Ma’n keun o qwary. SWFM Yma’n keun ow kwari.	The dogs are playing.
Ma’n kei ma o qwary. SWFM Yma’n ki-ma ow kwari.	This dog is playing.
Ma’n keun ma o qwary. SWFM Yma’n keun-ma ow kwari.	These dogs are playing.
Ma’n kei na o qwary. SWFM Yma’n ki-na ow kwari.	That dog is playing.
Ma’n keun na o qwary. SWFM Yma’n keun-na ow kwari.	Those dogs are playing.

In the present-future:

Kei a wary. SWFM Ki a wari.	A dog plays.
Keun a wary. SWFM Keun a wari.	Dogs play.
An kei a wary. SWFM An ki a wari.	The dog plays.
An keun a wary. SWFM An keun a wari.	The dogs play.
An kei ma a wary. SWFM An ki-ma a wari.	This dog plays.
An keun ma a wary. SWFM An keun-ma a wari.	These dogs play.
An kei na a wary. SWFM An ki-na a wari.	That dog plays.
An keun na a wary. SWFM An keun-na a wari.	Those dogs play.

In the preterite (simple past):

Kei a waras. SWFM Ki a waras.	A dog played.
Keun a waras. SWFM Keun a waras.	Dogs played.
An kei a waras. SWFM An ki a waras.	The dog played.
An keun a waras. SWFM An keun a waras.	The dogs played.
An kei ma a waras. SWFM An ki-ma a waras.	This dog played.
An keun ma a waras. SWFM An keun-ma a waras.	These dogs played.
An kei na a waras. SWFM An ki-na a waras.	That dog played.
An keun na a waras. SWFM An keun-na a waras.	Those dogs played.

Replacing the subjects with the corresponding demonstrative pronouns we get:

Ma hebma2 o qwary. SWFM Yma hemma ow kwari.	This one is playing.
Ma ’n re ma o qwary. Yma an re-ma ow kwari.	These are playing.
Ma hedna o qwary. Yma henna ow kwari.	That one is playing.
Ma’n re na o qwary. Yma an re-na ow kwari.	Those are playing.
Hebma a wary. Hemma a wari.	This one plays.
An re ma a wary. An re-ma a wari.	These play.
Hedna a wary. Henna a wari.	That one plays.
An re na a wary. An re-na a wari.	Those play.
Hebma a waras. Hemma a waras.	This one played.
An re ma a waras. An re-ma a waras.	These played.
Hedna a waras. Henna a waras.	That one played.
An re na a waras. An re-na a waras.	Those played.

[1] If you compare the Middle Cornish with the Late Cornish you will see certain differences. “Pre-occlusion” is a feature of Late Cornish pronunciation, where /mm/  became /^bm/ (in words such as omma/obma here, hemma/hebma this one) and /nn/ became /^dn/ (in words such as henna/hedna that one). Some Late Cornish writers went even further with hedda.

[2] Hebma this one and hedna that one are used if the subject is masculine or of unknown gender. If you know that the subject is feminine you use homma/hobma (or holma) this one and honna/hodna or even hodda that one.