2020 Day 274

 2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Pejwardhek

De Merher, degves warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Wednesday, 30th September

Alja whei derevel âbêcêdâry agas honan pecar’an Ejyptyons ancient? Anjei a dhallathas gen pictours a taclow aswonys leb a brovias sonow – pobel, sòdhow, toulys whel, daffar chei, anedhow, radnow a’n corf, enevales. Pandr’ alja nei ûsya en Kernow? Ellama gwil lever âbêcêdâry lymnys?   Gerowgh nei dalla gen an kensa letheren. Ma dhen “abas”, “ar” po “arder”, “abrans” (gen lagas), “aporn”, “asen”, “aval”, ha moy.

Could you produce an ABC yourself like the ancient Egyptians? They started with pictures of familiar things that provided sounds – people, occupations, work tools, domestic things, dwellings, bodily parts, animals. What could we use in Cornwall? Can I do an illustrated ABC book? Let’s start with the first letter. We have “abbot”, “ploughland” or “a plough”, “an eyebrow” (with an eye), “apron”, “donkey”, “apple”, and more. 

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

âbêcêdâry ABC

abrans (m) eyebrow, brow

a’n corf of the body, bodily

anedhow dwellings < (singular) annedh (f)

arder (m) plough

aswonys familiar, recognised

daffar (collective) equipment, gear, things

lymnys illustrated

provia to provide

sòdhow occupations, jobs < (singular) soodh (m)

 

2020 Day 273

 2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Terdhek

De Meurth, nawves warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Tuesday, 29th September

My a viras orth program dhe les gen BBC – an story keladow a scrifa. Fatel ellen nei godhvos an prederyansow e’n pedn nebonan aral? An gorryp ew tavas.  Fatel wrüg an bobel godhvos an prederyansow aga ragadasow? En kensa e veu tradicyon cowsys. En Âwstraly ma lavarow a linen gân. Bes mars ew terrys an linen nena ew kellys an pederyans. Gen scrifa nei ell godhvos prederyansow nebonan en termynyow eus passyes ken fe astelys an tradicyon cowsys. Gen scrifa agan prederyansow hedhyw ell bos godhvedhys en termyn a vedn dos. Nebonan lies mildir alebma ell godhvos agan prederyansow nei heb clowes agan lev. Thera nei danon lether. Ma’n messach ow mos dhe ’gan lagajow. An kensa scrifa a veu en form a pictours facys. Nena an shapys a dhisqwedhas sonow ha letherednow a veu gwres. Thera nei ow kenkya whath adro dhe’n letherednow rag disqwedhes an sonow tavas Kernôwek. Martesen nei a dal mos tre dhe ûsya pictours!   

I watched an interesting programme by the BBC – the secret history of writing. How can we know the thoughts in someone else’s head? The answer is language. How did people know the thoughts of their ancestors? First there was a spoken tradition. In Australia there is talk of a song line. But if the line is broken then the thought is lost. With writing we can know someone’s thoughts in past times even if the oral tradition is interrupted. With writing our thoughts today can be known in the future. Someone many miles away can know our thoughts without hearing our voice. We send a letter. The message goes to our eyes. The first writing was in the form of stylised pictures. Then the shapes represented sounds and letters were produced. We are still arguing about the letters for representing the sounds of the Cornish language. Perhaps we should go back to using pictures!

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

astelys interrupted

cowsys spoken, verbal, oral

godhvedhys known

gorryp ~ gorthyp (m) answer

keladow secret

ken fe even if, even though

kenkya o argue

lavarow talk, sayings

prederyansow thoughts

ragadasow ancestors, forefathers

story (m) history

2020 Day 272

  2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Dewdhek

De Lün, ethves warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Monday, 28th September

Pana sêson ew ev, en barh Duw? Ma scavel cronek e’n ke. Onan brâs ew hei, emesk an reden marow. Hedna ew own rag kidnyadh. Bes pandr’ew hebma? Nei a dal gweles an flourys ma en gwenton - mellyon ens (Viola). My a welas flour aral gen pecar hanow - mellyonen (Trifolium) – flour hav ow talleja an termyn. Nag ew an vellyonen ma onan feujyk – nag eus bes teyr delen dhedhy; nag ew hei mellyonen beder del. Ma gwedhros whath emesk an idhyow – greun glas keffres ha flourys melyn. Nag ew pub tra oll en compòster e’n ke – na dal an delyow derowen ma emesk an dreys ha bryony bos gwydn po arhans. Ma mir teg dhodhans bes nag ens en poynt da – kemerys gens cleves ens, gen kewny avel bleus.  

What season is it, for God’s sake? There’s a toadstool in the hedge.  It’s a big one, among the dead bracken. That is correct for autumn. But what is this? We ought to see these flowers in spring – they are violets (Viola). I saw another flower with the same name – clover (Trifolium) – a lingering summer flower. This clover isn’t a lucky one – it only has three leaves; it’s not a four-leaf clover. There is still honeysuckle among the ivy – unripe berries as well as yellow flowers. Everything is not alright in the hedge – these oak leaves among the brambles and bryony should not be white or silver. They look pretty but they are not healthy – they are diseased, with a powdery mildew.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

avel bleus ~ podn powdery (like flour ~ dust)

dalleja an termyn to linger

en barh Duw for God’s sake

en poynt da healthy

feujyk ~ feusyk lucky

glas unripe, green

mellyon (collective) violets or clovers

mellyonen beder del/bederdhel (f) four-leaf clover

(or mellyonen Varia)

oll en compòster alright, O.K.

scavel cronek (f) toadstool, mushroom

2020 Day 271

2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens hag Üdnek

De Sül, seythves warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Sunday, 27th September

Rag fra ma pictour a desen? Mille-feuille ew hei. (Thew hedna Frenkek rag mil delen po folen.) Tos delyek, “Mil” folen po delen a dos. Da via genam cawas tesen an par na dhe wolya! Mil! My a dhallathas scrifa ow blogg pub dedh nanj ew mil dedh. Thew hebma ow milves scrîf. Meur ew wharvedhys e’n mil dedh na. Rag fra wrüga vy dallath? Determyans o va rag an Vledhen Nowydh. My a dhetermyans dhe scrifa nebes geryow Kernôwek pub dedh. Lebmyn na ellama gwil diwedh – ma re a redyoryon lel dhebm. Deffrans ew an bôwnans e’n jedh hedhyw. Na ellama desky bejeth-dhe-vejeth, etho res ew dhebm gül devnydh a Zoom. Nanj ew mil dedh na veu besca clowys genam a Zoom. Hedhyw thera vy ow còrtos tre drefen bos plag bes-efan. En mis Genver diw mil hag etek my a wòrtas tre drefen bos hager awel. Enawel Eleanor a dhros terros dhe’n als. A ellowgh whei remembra an todnow? Nena thera ergh dhe nei en mis Meurth bes mis Gorefen o re dòbm ha meur a düs a veu herdhys warbarth war drethow. Ha terweythyow nag eus dowr lowr – ha terweythyow ma re a dhowr. Thew an awel a bris dhe’n economiedh Gernow. Ha nag ew da genam awel re yeyn po re dòbm – na re leb.

Why is there a picture of a cake? It’s a mille-feuille. (That’s French.) Flaky pastry, a “thousand” leaves or sheets of pastry. I’d like to have a cake like that to celebrate! A thousand! I started writing my daily blog a thousand days ago. This is my thousandth text. Much has happened in those thousand days. Why did I start? It was a Resolution for the New Year. I resolved to write some Cornish words every day. Now I can’t stop – I have too many faithful readers. Life is different nowadays. I cannot teach face-to-face, so I have to make use of Zoom. A thousand days ago I had never heard of Zoom. Today I am staying home because there is a pandemic. In January 2018 I stayed home because of terrible weather. Storm Eleanor brought havoc to the coast. Do you remember the waves? Then we had snow in March but July was too hot and many people were packed on beaches. And sometimes there was not enough water and sometimes there was too much water. Weather is important to Cornwall’s economy. And I don’t like too cold or too hot weather – nor too wet.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

economiedh (f) economy

Frenkek French (language)

golya to celebrate

gül ~ gwil devnydh a to make use of

gwil diwedh to finish, stop, make an end

herdhys warbarth pushed together, packed

lel faithful

plag bes-efan (m) pandemic, world-wide plague

terros (m) havoc, destruction

tos delyek (m) flaky pastry

2020 Day 270

2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Deg

De Sadorn, wheffes warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Saturday, 26th September

Newher, e veu cabmdhavas e’n ebòrn (cabmdhavas dobyl). Ma lavar coth: “Cabmdhavas e’n mettin, glaw bos etten.” Bes cabmdhavas e’n gordhûher? Ew hedna ambos a gewer gwell? En certan, gwell ew an jedh hedhyw: gwell ew an gewer ha moy hewar ew ow themper. Moy disqwithys oma ha le crowsek. Thew an gath pur dhisqwithys ewedh. Hei a gawas telher tòbm dhe gòsca. An vôwnder ew sehys – whei ell gweles olow ewinas carnow mergh agan kentrevoges. Agan kerdh hedhyw a veu berr saw froutful; nei a dheuth tre gen lies moren dhû ha gen lavalow (crabbys codhys gans an gwens). Pandra wra vy fittya? Blewek ew fittya meur a frûtys! Bes, en kensa, res ew dhe nebonan kemeres del codhys mes an londer. Pehen ew an nos? My a welas an loor ow terevel dres an gwedh – nena gellys ew hei mes a wel a-dhelher dhe’n cloudys. Bras ew hei, bes nag ew hei leun, na whath.

Yesterday evening, there was a rainbow in the sky (a double rainbow). There is a proverb: “A rainbow in the morning, there is rain in it.” But a rainbow in the evening? Is that a promise of better weather? Certainly, it is better today: the weather is better and my temper is more genial. I am more relaxed and less grumpy. The cat is very relaxed too. She found a hot spot to sleep. The lane has dried – you can see the hoofprints of our neighbour’s horses. Our walk today was short but fruitful; we came home with lots of blackberries and with apples (windfall crab apples). What shall I cook? It’s boring cooking a lot of fruit! But, first, someone has to take fallen leaves out of the launder. What is the night like? I saw the moon rising through the trees, but then it disappeared behind the clouds. It's big, but it is not yet full.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

cabmdhavas (mf) rainbow

crabbys (plural) crab apples

crowsek grumpy, bad-tempered

disqwithys relaxed

ewin carn (m) hoof > (plural) ewinas carnow

govenek (m) hope

hewar genial

lavar coth (m) proverb, old saying

mos mes a wel to disappear, go out of sight

ol (m) print, trace > (plural) olow

2020 Day 269

 2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Naw

De Gwener, pempes warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Friday, 25th September

Kidnyadh. Joy mar vrâs! Gwenjow crev ha glaw e’n nos, difüna dhe gavas bôwnder livys, delkyow war an to ha londrys tagys. Thera othom dhen ewedh a whithra to an crow. Medhel ha gleb ew an dor, perfydh rag bulük. Bestes brâs erel a vedn debry an bestes bian, etho ma tell e’n glesin. Ma brogh brâs ow cül tell bian. Dadn an dor ma tell moy. Pana vens ens? Ma pilyow gòdhor pur vrâs, martesen ma gòdhor brâs gen kivorrow brâs en dadn. E’n gordhûher nei a gerdhas en bôwnder livys aral, pur slotterüs.  Res veu dhen goheles jynn brâs, tractor gen arder.          

 Autumn. Such great joy! Strong winds and rain in the night, waking up to discover a flooded lane, leaves on the roof and blocked launders. We also needed to inspect the shed roof. The ground is soft and wet, perfect for earthworms. Big animals want to eat the little animals, so there are holes in the lawn. A big badger makes little holes. Under the ground there are more holes. What size are they? There are very big molehills, perhaps there is a big mole with big tunnels underneath. In the afternoon we walked in another flooded lane, very slottery (muddy). We had to avoid a big machine, a tractor with a plough.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

brogh (m) badger (you can also use dorgy)

bulük (plural) earthworms > (singular) bulügen (f)

cavas to discover, find

difüna ~ divüna to wake up

joy mar vrâs such great joy

liwa ~ liva to flood

londrys (plural) launders (dialect) roof gutters

pana vens? what size?

tagys blocked, choked

whithra to inspect, examine

2020 Day 268

2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens hag Eth

De Yow, pajwora warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Thursday, 24th September

Nag eus termyn luck dhebm dhe redya ow lever spladn nowydh, na whath. Et y le, my a veu dasredya nebes blogs. Rag fra endelha? Ma blog nòmber mil ow tos nes. Pandra wrüga vy scrifa en termyn tremenys? Dew cans a veu en mis Gorefen 2018. My a wrüg gwaya mebel chombour, saw na veu pictour veth na rester eryow naneyl. Pajar cans a veu en mis Whevrel 2019 ha my a scrifas adro dhe Woon Bren.  Po moy lel, my a dhescrifas dew lever settys war an (w)oon na. E veu fotos an levrow saw na veu gerva. Whegh cans a veu en mis Est 2019. My geth dhe’n treth gen esely yonk ow theylû - gen fotos moy bes heb rester eryow. Eth cans en mis Meurth an vledhen ma, a wrüg tochya flourys hag edhyn et ow lowarth – fotos arta ha, war an diwedh, “Deg ger rag hedhyw”. Pandr’a vedh nessa?

I haven’t enough time to read my splendid new book, not yet. Instead, I have been re-reading several blogs. Why so? Blog number a thousand is approaching. What did I write in time gone by? Two hundred was in July 2018. I moved bedroom furniture, but there was neither picture nor word list. Four hundred was in February 2019 and I wrote about Bodmin Moor. Or more precisely, I described two books set on that moor. There were photos of the books but no vocabulary. Six hundred was in August 2019. I went to the beach with young members of my family – with more photos but without a word list. Eight hundred, in March this year, was about flowers and birds in my garden – photos again and, at last, “Ten words for today”. What will be next?

 Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

chombour (m) bedroom

dasredya to re-read

dos nes to approach, come near

esely (plural) members > (singular) esel (m) eseles (f)

et y le instead, in its place

gerva (f) vocabulary

goon (f) downland, upland moor, unenclosed pasture

lel accurate, accurately, faithful, etc.

mebel (collective) furniture

rester (f) list, roster

 

2020 Day 267

2020 Dedh Dew Cans Trei Ügens ha Seyth

 De Merher, tryja warn ügens mis Gwedngala

Wednesday, 23rd September

Hedhyw, tho dedh a dhew hanter. Nag o an mettin howlek ha tòbm. Loos o an ebòrn ha dû o an mor. Yeyn o an gwens hag e veu dhen hager gowas. Ha blewek o an mettin! Thera othom dhen a wil lies gweythres e’n chei. Mars eus cath dhe nebonan ma blew en pub le. Ma cath dhen, etho ma blew. Res veu dhen glanhe an radiadors. Leun ens a vlew. Res veu dhen riddya nebes kenis ha’ga gwiajow kenis, ken cregy croglednow glan. Nag o an dohajedh gwell veth, saw tho vy moy lôwen. An letherwas a dhros fardelik ragam. Lever, danvenys gans an âwthores. Mall ew genam y redya. Settys en Kernow ew ev.

Today, it was a day of two halves. The morning wasn’t sunny and hot. The sky was grey and the sea was black. The wind was cold and we had a heavy shower. And the morning was boring! We needed to do lots of tasks in the house. If someone has a cat there is hair everywhere. We have a cat, so there is hair. We had to clean the radiators. They were full of hair. We had to get rid of several spiders and their cobwebs, before hanging up clean curtains. The afternoon wasn’t any better, but I am happier. The postman brought a packet for me. A book, sent by the author. I am looking forward to reading it. It is set in Cornwall.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

blew (collective) hair > (singular) blewen (f)

blewek boring, tedious (literally hairy)

danvenys sent

fardelik (m) packet

glanhe to clean < (adjective) glan

gweythres (m) task

gwias kenisen (m) cobweb > (plural) gwiajow kenis

hager gowas (m) heavy shower

kenis (plural) spiders > (singular) kenisen (f)

letherwas (m) postman, mailman

riddya to get rid of