Taking a new look at Cornish grammar 37 (Interrogative pronouns)

We have used peth (SWFM pyth) for thing/stuff, etc. in connection with indefinite pronouns and possession. We can also use it in questions with pe which or what. <Pe peth> meaning What thing(s) stuff, etc. is shortened to <Peth>. Alternatively, tra can be used with pe in the same way. In this context <tra> is treated as feminine and mutates after the definite article. <Pe an dra> meaning What thing(s), etc. is shortened to <Pandra> (<Pandr’> before a vowel.) In Late Cornish texts (e.g. JCH) it was frequently combined with the verb, e.g. as <Pandrew> and further shortened to <Drew>.

Peth and pandra are frequently used as subjects with the demonstrative pronouns hedna and hebma (the masculine versions, since we do not know if the answer will be masculine or feminine), though we can also use the plurals. In JCH, Jowan asks, “Drew hedna?” and “Pandrew hedna?” “What is that?”

In practice “pyth” tends to be favoured by Middle Cornish speakers while “pandra” tends to be favoured by Late Cornish speakers, though the choice is yours! Here are some examples using the descriptive present tense of boas to be (more tenses and other verbs later):

Peth ew hedna? SWFM Pyth yw henna?	What (thing/stuff, etc.) is that?
Pandr’ew hedna? SWFM Pandr’yw henna?
Peth ew hebma? SWFM Pyth yw hemma?	What is this?
Pandr’ew hebma? SWFM Pandr’yw hemma?
Pandr’ew hedna war an bord? SWFM Pyth yw henna war an voos? (different choice of vocabulary)	What is that on the table?
Pandr’ew hebma en dha sagh? (pre-SWF RLC was “zah”) SWFM Pyth yw hemma yn dha sagh?	What is this in your bag?
Peth ew an re na? SWFM Pyth yw an re na?	What are those?
Pandr’ew an re na? SWFM Pandr’yw an re na?
Peth ew an re ma? SWFM Pyth yw an re ma?	What are these?
Pandr’ew an re ma? SWFM Pandr’yw an re ma?
Pandr’ew an re na war an styllen na? SWFM Pyth yw an re na war an estyllen na?	What are those on that shelf?
Pandr’ew an re ma e’n gisten? SWFM Pyth yw an re ma y’n gisten?	What are these in the box?

If you are asking about a person(s) rather than a thing(s), the pronoun to use is piw who rather than peth/pandra what. Again these examples use the descriptive present tense of boas to be (more tenses and other verbs later):

Piw ew hedna? SWFM Piw yw henna?	Who is that? (m)
Piw ew an den na? SWFM Piw yw an den na?	Who is that man?
Piw ew hodna/hodda? SWFM Piw yw honna?	Who is that? (f)
Piw ew an venyn na? SWFM Piw yw an venyn na?	Who is that woman?
Piw ew hebma? SWFM Piw yw hemma?	Who is this? (m)
Piw ew an maw ma? SWFM Piw yw an maw ma?	Who is this boy?
Piw ew hobma/holma? SWFM Piw yw homma?	Who is this? (f)
Piw ew an vos ma? SWFM Piw yw an vowes ma?	Who is this girl?