Personal Activities10 (present tense shopping)

One activity we all do, whether we enjoy it or not, is shopping. You can make your own substitutions in the following sentences for items bought and sold and for prices paid. (SWF Middle Cornish “main” form shown in brackets.)

Da ew genam marhasna.   (Da yw genev marhasna.)	I like (going) shopping (to market).
Nag ew da genam pernassa. (Nyns yw da genev prenassa.)	I do not like (going) shopping (spending) .
Pandr’ero whei o cül?        (Pyth erowgh hwi ow kul?)	What are you doing?
Thero vy o marhasna. (Yth esov vy ow marhasna.)	I am going shopping.
Thero vy o pernassa war lin. (Yth esov vy ow prenassa.)	I am shopping on line.
Thero vy o perna bara.       (Yth esov vy ow prena bara.)	I am buying bread.
Ma odhom dhebm a gota nowedh.   (Yma edhom dhymm a gota nowydh.)	I need a new coat.
Pegebmys pris ew an re ma? (Pygemmys pris yw an re ma?)	How much are these?
Pe cost ew hedna?   (Py kost yw henna?)	What does that cost?
Hebma ew deg pens.          (Hemm yw deg peuns.)	This is £10.
An re na ew pajer ügens diner an tabm.   (An re na yw peswar ugens diner an tamm.)	Those are 80p each.
Thew hebma re gostek.     (Yth yw hemma re gostek.)	This is too expensive.
Ras ew an re na.                  (A bris isel  yw an re na.)	Those are cheap.
Me a vedn pëa lebmyn.      (Me a vynn pe lemmyn.)	I will pay now.

Tabm a Gernow 33 (need for new houses)

"Ma odhom a lies chei nowydh",  e'medh an gallos, endelha otta treven nowydh. Derevys ens en prasow reb Tiwar'n heyl (Perranporth). Bes piw ew perhen an prasow? Arlòdh Falmeth ew, car dre hevel, ke nag üjens ogas dhe Falmeth.

Rag fra ma odhom a lies chei nowydh? Eus chei lowr solabres? Eus po nag eus? Otta chei pur goth gwag en Melinjy (Bolingey), en ogas dhe'n treven nowydh. Piw ew an perhen? Arlòdh Falmeth ew, car dre hevel. Rag fra ew an chei gwag? Martesen moy ras ew dhe dherevel treven nowydh kens es owna chei coth. Soweth. Ma history dhe'n chei ma; nag eus story dhe chei nowydh veth.

Personal Activities 9 (boas locative question and negative)

We have looked at examples of the use of the verb <boas> (SWFM bos) to be, being in its “locative” form, which is used with locations and actions (what some people call the “long” form). Here is a summary, including the verbal particle (not needed with a preposition), which is equivalent to adding “-ing” to the end of English verbs. (Remember that in rapid speech the verbal particle is often left out.):

thero vy o … therama o … theram …                     (SWFM yth esov vy ow …)	I am …ing
thesta o ... (singular familiar)   (SWFM yth esos ta ow ...)	you are … ing thou art …ing
ma va o …                                   (SWFM yma ev ow …)	he is …ing
ma hei o …                  (SWFM yma hi ow …)	she is …ing
thero nei o …                        (SWFM yth eson ni ow …)	we are …ing
thero whei o … (formal or plural) (SWFM yth esowgh hwi ow ….)	you are …ing
môns o … ma anjei o … (more emphatic) (SWFM ymons i ow …)	they are …ing

Here are the question and negative forms:

ero vy o …? erama o …? eram o …? (SWFM esov vy ow …?)	am I … ing?
esta o ...? (familiar singular)    (SWFM esos ta ow …?)	are you … ing? art thou … ing?
üjy va o …? (SWFM usi ev ow …?)	is he … ing?
üjy hei o …?      (SWFM usi hi ow …?)	is she … ing?
ero nei o …?      (SWFM eson ni ow …?)	are we … ing?
ero whei o …? (formal or plural) (SWFM esowgh hwi ow …?)	are you … ing?
üjens o …? üjy anjei o …? (more emphatic) (SWFM usens i ow …?)	are they … ing?
nag ero vy o … nag erama o … nag eram o … (SWFM nyns esov vy ow …)	I am not … ing
nag esta o ... (familiar singular) (SWFM nyns esos ta ow …)	you are not … ing thou art not … ing
nag üjy va o … (SWFM nyns usi ev ow …)	he is not … ing
nag üjy hei o … (SWFM nyns usi hi ow …)	she is not … ing
nag ero nei o … (SWFM nyns eson ni ow …)	we are not … ing
nag ero whei o … (formal or plural) (SWFM nyns esowgh hwi ow …)	you are not … ing
nag üjens o … nag üjy anjei o … (more emphatic) (SWFM nyns usens i ow …)	they are not … ing

The <ma> and <üjy> forms can also be used with singular or plural nouns and with names instead of pronouns, e.g.:

Ma den o ...	A man is …ing
Ma Jowan ha Peder o ...	John and Peter are …ing
Üjy an flehes o …?	Are the children …ing?
Nag üjy Jana o ...	Jane is not …ing

                              

         

                              

                             

Personal Activities 8

Here’s how you confirm or deny an activity:

Esta o scrifa?                        (SWFM Esos ta ow skrifa?)	Are you writing? (fam. sing.)
Eram.  Thero vy o scrifa.    (SWFM Esov. Yth esov vy ow skrifa.)	Yes, I am. I am writing.
Ha whei. Ero whei o scrifa lether?                (SWFM Esowgh hwi ow skrifa lyther?)	And you. Are you writing a letter?
Nag eram.  Nag ero vy o scrifa lether.      (SWFM Nag esov. Nyns esov vy ow skrifa lyther.)	No, I’m not. I am not writing a letter.
Pandr’ero vy o cül?             (SWFM Pyth esov vy ow kul?)	What am I doing?
Thero vy o scrifa drolla.     (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa drolla.)	I am writing a story.
Pandr’ero nei o cül?           (SWFM Pyth eson ni ow kul?)	What are we doing?
Thero nei o whesa.              (SWFM Yth eson ni ow hwesa.)	We are sweating (i.e. working hard).
Ero whei o whesa e’n gwir? (SWFM Esowgh hwi ow hwesa y’n gwir?)	Are you really sweating?
Nag eron.  Nag ero nei o whesa.      (SWFM Nag eson. Nyns eson ni ow hwesa.)	No. We are not. We are not sweating.
Thero nei o tisquitha.         (SWFM Yth eson ni ow tiskwitha.)	We are relaxing.
Üjy va o redya lever?                 (SWFM Usi ev ow redya lyver?)	Is he reading a book?
Nag üjy. Nag üjy va o redya lever.         (SWFM Nag usi. Nyns usi ev ow redya lyver.)	No, he’s not. He’s not reading a book.
Ma va o redya lether.           (SWFM Yma ev ow redya.)	He is reading a letter.
Üjy hei ow redya lether e’wedh?    (SWFM Usi hi ow redya lyther ynwedh?)	Is she reading a letter as well?
Üjy. Ma hei o redya lether e’wedh.               (SWFM Usi. Usi hi ow redya lyther ynwedh.)	She is. She is reading a letter as well.

Tabm a Gernow 32 (muddy footprints)

Stag, prei, poll ha leyj ew henwyn rag an keth tra - rag dor po gweres gleb. Ma stag lowr en Kernow. En Carnon Downs ema bownder henwys "Staggy Lane", ke nag ewa leyjek lebmyn. Òja glaw, leyjek ew lies vorrow (fordhow) broas ha bian. Nei ell gweles piw üjy o ûsya an vorrow ma. Nei ell gweles aga olow. Rag sampel, tractor, gen rosow broas, a wrüg drîvya war brei ma.

Rag sampel aral, best a wrüg kerres (kerdhes) e'n stag ma. Pehen o an best? Na ora vy. Martesen lowarn o va, po martesen nag o bes kei kebmyn.

Ello whei gweles agas honan?


An ol ma a veu gwres gen edhen broas lowr. Ma trei bes troos arag ha üdn bes troos adhelergh. Nag eus gwias tredh an besyas troos, etho na veu gwres gen edhen dhowr. Bran a'n gwres, dres lycklod.

Ma olow en gwelow, e'wedh. Hebm'ew ol ros tractor. Nag era stag saw pur vedhel o an dor gleb. 

Tabm a Gernow 31

Ma tollow en Kernow. Leun a dollow ew Kernow. Ma tollow broas ha tollow bian. 

Otta toll bian en ke, gwres gen best bian. Ma idhyow glas oll adro. Re vian ew ev rag toll cònin. Martesen rath po meder (field mouse) a'n gwres.

Ma'n toll broas ma dreth ke coth an trenewen dh'y gila. Gwres ew ev, car dre hevel, gen dorgy. An brogh ell tremena dhort an gwel ma dhe'n gwel aral heb odhom a grambla adres an ke.  Nei ell gweles gwredhyow dadn an dor. Ma idhyow obma ewedh, keffres ha cous (wall pennywort).

Ma toll broas obma, pallys gen tüs, rag tedna mes men. Mengleudh ew ev. Nag eus best etto. Nag ew ev toll godhvil. Ûsys ew an men rag bildya treven rag tüs po skiberyow rag bestes wharhes.

Ma toll dadn an dor obma, palys gen gòdhor. Na ellama gweles an toll, bes ma pilyow gòdhor dhe voas gweles.

An gòdhor trüan ma a dheuth mes a y doll, soweth. Carr a dheuth en kettermin, en sewyans an gòdhor a veu gwasgys.

Ma lies toll bian reb gwredhyow gwels. Ma drumbel dran ma o whilas toll rag neyth e'mesk an brially. Nag eus cawel gwenen dhe'n dran.

Personal Acivities 7 (what are you doing)

The simplest verbs are those that can be used without an object. For the continuous present tense these are used with an appropriate locative part of boas to be plus the continuous verbal particle (whether or not this is actually said or written). Here are some examples of questions and answers (with or without objects):

Pandr’esta o cül? (SWFM Pyth esos ta ow kul?)	What are you doing? (familiar singular)
Pandr’ero whei o cül? (SWFM Pyth esowgh hwi ow kul?)	What are you doing? (plural or formal singular)
Pandr’ero vy o cül? (SWFM Pyth esov vy ow kul?)	What am I doing?
Thero vy o scrifa. (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa.)	I am writing.
Thero vy o scrifa drolla. (SWFM Yth esov vy ow skrifa drolla.)	I am writing a story.
Pandr’ero nei o cül? (SWFM Pyth eson ni ow kul?)	What are we doing?
Thero nei o whesa. (SWFM Yth eson ni ow hwesa.)	We are sweating (i.e. working hard).
Pandr’uji va o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi ev ow kul?)	What is he doing?
Ma va o redya. (SWFM Yma ev ow redya.)	He is reading.
Ma va o redya whedhel. (SWFM Yma ev ow redya hwedhel.)	He is reading a story.
Pandr’uji hei o cül? (SWFM Pyth usi hi ow kul?)	What is she doing?
Ma hei o redya story.               (SWFM Yma hi ow redya stori.)	She is reading a story.
Pandr’ujens o cül? (SWFM Pyth usons i ow kul?)	What are they doing?
Môns o plottya. (SWFM Ymons i ow plottya.)	They are plotting.
Môns o tevisya towlednow.(SWFM Ymons i ow tevisya towlennow.)	They are inventing programmes.