2026 Day 152

2026 Dedh Cans Dogens ha Dewdhek
De Lün, kensa mis Efen

Monday, 1st June 

Whei alja desky lies poynt gramassek en udn radn cott a whedhel po daralla. Otta sompel andhien bian.

You could learn many grammatical points in one short part of a story or tale. Here's a little, incomplete example.

  “Ma odhom dhebm a olifans gwydn.” Lev ow hôr Rosa ew hedna. Nag o nei bes nowydh devedhys tre dhort scol.

  “Gwra gofyn ort dha dhama wydn.” Lev agan dama ew hedna.

   Ma hei ow cosôwes bes hanter orth Rosa. Hanter hy rach ew kemerys gen caletter aral. Fatel ell hei gwitha Arthòr, agan broder bian, dhort towla yos tettys ort an gath? Ma dhodho gallos marthys rag nebonan ew bes trei bloodh coth.

This shows the use of bes meaning but, in the sense of only or just (sometimes in a negative sentence).

Nag o nei bes nowydh devedhys tre ...

We have only just come home… (lit. We aren’t but newly come home…)

Ma hei ow cosôwes bes hanter … 

She is only half listening … (it. She is listening but half…)

… rag nebonan ew bes trei bloodh coth.

.... for somebody (who) is only/just (but) 3 years of age

 

There are examples using ma there is + dhe to, where Cornish doesn’t have a verb „to need“ or „to have“.

“Ma odhom dhebm a … I need … (lit. There is need to me of…, I have need of ..)

Ma dhodho gallos ... He has ability ... (lit. There is to him ability...)

Ordinary use of bos locative with ow verbal („ing“) particle and secondary verb:

Ma hei ow cosôwes She is listening

 

Here are examples where the adjective directly follows the noun (no mutation after masculine singular nouns);

olifans gwydn white elephant

dama wydn grandmother (lit. white mother) (f) notice soft mutation

caletter aral other problem

broder bian little brother

yos tettys mashed potatoes (lit. potato mush)

gallos marthys wonderful ability

bloodh coth years of age (lit. old years)

 

Possessives (mutation after dha) and numbers before the noun:

ow hôr my sister; dha dhama your mother; hy rach her attention;

agan dama our mother; agan broder our brother;

trei bloodh three years

 

Bos descriptive used with verbal adjective (past participle):

e.g. (th)o nei we are with devedhys come;

and ew is with kemerys taken

Bos descriptive used with identifier, like two halves of an equation:

Lev … ew hedna That is the voice … (definite article not needed by lev, as owner of voice is definite)