2022 Day 97

 2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Seytek

De Yow, seythves mis Ebrel

Thursday, 7th April

"Na vedh tredan dhe whei." Hedna a veu an messach dhort an company. "Ma othom dhe nei a drehy nebes gwedh ha derevel gwern electrek nowydh. Res ew dhen gwil whel war an linednow ewedh." Etho nei eth bys en Truru rag pig breghlin Covid niver pajar. My a welas deffrans en Truru. Ma edhnigow dhe'n kelebmy ogas dhe'n varhas. Ha pandr'ew an gòlow blou ow colôwy?  Disposyans Bòbm Morlû Riel. Eus bòbm en Truru? Nei a dheuth tre, ha pandr'ew hebma? Terrys ew agan kern. Res ew dhen croffolas dhe'n company electrek.

"You will have no electricity." That was the message from the company. "We need to cut some trees and erect a new electricity mast. We must do work on the lines too."  So we went to Truro for Covid vaccination number four. I saw a difference in Truro. The pigeons near the market have chicks. And what is the blue flashing light? Royal Navy Bomb Disposal! Is there a bomb in Truro? We came home, and what is this? Our concrete is broken. We must complain to the electricity company.

Nebes geryow rag hedhyw. Some words for today.

bòbm (m) bomb

croffolas to complain

golôwy to flash <gòlow (m) light

kelebmy (pl) pigeons or doves < colom (f)

kern (m) concrete

Morlû Riel (m) Royal Navy

pig breghlin (m) vaccination, jab

tredan (m) electricity (also electrek)

2022 Day 96

2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Whetek

De Merher, wheffes mis Ebrel
Wednesday, 6th April

Skith o vy lebmyn. Thera meur a whel dhe wül hedhyw - gòlhy, glanhe, desky, scrifa, gwitha war flehes, fittya boos. Da via genam mos a-varr dhe'm gwely. My a scrifas blogg rag flehes - ow tòchya Pask, oyow choclat hag erel.

I am tired now. There was a lot of work to do today - washing, cleaning, teaching, writing, looking after children, preparing food. I'd like to go early to my bed. I wrote a blog for children - about Easter, chocolate eggs, etc.

2022 Day 95

 2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Pemdhek

De Meurth, pempes mis Ebrel

Wednesday, 5th April

Ass ew teg an gwel ma a lily Corawys. Soweth, nag ew hebma tra varthys rag an tiek. Re dhiwedhes ew. An flourys a dalvia bos cuntellys avel buddys rag gwertha e'n shoppys gwerthoryon flourys ha gorvarhasow. Ma lily Corawys en teleryow erel, e'n park ma, rag ensampel. Ens diantel? Nebonan a wrüg trehy an flourys ma. Rag fra? Martesen anjei alja bos debrys gen flehes! Wressa whei bescath gweles flogh ow tebry lilien Corawys? Na whath, na vedn an consel en Landreth gonis lily Corawys arta en park gwary rag flehes.

How beautiful this field of daffodils is. Sadly, this is not a wonderful thing for the farmer. It's too late. The flowers should have been picked as buds for selling in florists shops and supermarkets. There are daffodils in other places, in this park, for example. Are they dangerous. Someone cut these flowers. Why? Perhaps they could be eaten by children! Did you ever see a child eating a daffodil? However, the council in St Blazey will not plant daffodils again in a children's play park

Cressya emann agan tavas Kernôwek Radn 21b

Building up our Cornish language Part 21b

Here are some extra examples using parts of gwil ~ gül:

A wressa whei bescath gweles hedna?

Did you ever see that?

Piw a wrüg trehy an flourys namnygen?

Who cut the flowers just now?

A wrüg an flogh na debry lilien Corawys de?

Did that child eat a daffodil yesterday?

A wra hei perna lily Corawys avorow?

Will she buy daffodils tomorrow?

2022 Day 94

2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Peswardhek

De Lün, pajwora mis Ebrel

Monday, 4th April

Ellama comendya an dyllansow ma. Whei ell redya moy en Kernôwek hag ow tòchya Kernow, mars eus whans dhewgh. Ma artickels war lies matter. Ma gwersyow, puslow, folednow rag flehes, daswelyow levrow ha meur moy.

May I recommend these publications. You can read more in Cornish and about Cornwall, if you want. There are articles on many subjects. There are poems, puzzles, pages for children, book reviews and much more.

Building up our Cornish language Part 21a

Cressya emann agan tavas Kernôwek Radn 21a

So far, we have been working on the verbs bos to be, being

and gwil/gül to do/make, doing/making.

We have had a good look at adverb expressions for the past. 

Now we need to look at more general expressions of time, starting with the days of the week.

You can sing the following list (from Sunday to Saturday) 

to the tune of Clementine:

Ema seyth dedh, ema seyth dedh, 

ema seyth dedh en seythen,

De Sül, De Lün, De Meurth, De Merher,

De Yow, De Gwener, De Sadorn.

ema ~ ma (SWFM yma) = there is/there are

Note: Usually we use "ma", but "ema" gives us an extra syllable to fit the tune.

Here are a few ways of using days of the week in sentences.

Na wrüga vy dos dhe'n eglos ma De Sül eus tremenys.

I did not come to this church last Sunday.

Note: "eus tremenys" or "eus passyes" can be used 

with any past period of time (year, month, day, etc.)

War an Sül e vedha lies ordenal en eglosyow.  

On Sundays there are many services in churches. (habitual)

E'n dedhyow coth, gòlhy o gwres war an Lün. 

In the olden days, washing was done on Mondays. 

Note: "war an" can be used to say "on" any repeated day of the week, omitting "De", for regular activities.

Note: gwres (SWFM gwrys) is the verbal adjective from gwil/gül 

Ev a wra mos tre De Meurth.

He will go home on Tuesday.

Eus marhas en Pensans De Yow ma?

Is there a market in Penzance (on) this Thursday?

A wressa whei mos dhe'n shoppys De Gwener?

Did you go to the shops on Friday?

Note: you do not need to use "war" to say "on" any specific day.

Pub secònd Meurth e vedh nebes nowydh.

Every second Tuesday 

(On alternate Tuesdays) 

(Every other Tuesday)

there will be something new.

Note: You can use "pub secònd" with any day of the week.

De Merher dhe nos e veu kefewy dhe nei.  

On Wednesday night we had a party.

Note: You can put "dhe nos" after any day of the week 

for the appropriate night.

Üjy dha vabm pobas hogednow luck ken De Sadorn?

Is your mum baking enough pasties before Saturday? 

Note: You can put "ken" before any day of the week.

In some expressions you will see "kens", 

e.g. kens lebmyn before (now)

2022 Day 93

2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Terdhek

De Sül, tryja mis Ebrel

Sunday, 3rd April

Thera rew yeyn e'n nos newher. My a dhifünas e'n mettin ha mires der an veister dhe weles arhans war an brially et ow lowarth. Teudhys en üskis veu va gen an howlsplan tòbm. An jorna o teg. Glas o an mor - blou a'n morlû. Thera whans dhe'n flehes a omweles war agan kentrevoges ha'y mergh. Ma othom a restra an mergh - solabres mons ow kelly aga côta gwav. Da via gans ow mergh wydn cawas margh hy hònan. Da ew gans ow mab wydn kemeres fotos gans ow hamera. Nag ens drog rag maw trei bloodh!

  

There was a cold frost in the night last night. I woke in the morning and looked through the window to see silver on the primroses in my garden. It was melted quickly by the warm sunshine. The day was beautiful. The sea was blue - navy blue. The children wanted to visit our neighbour and her horses. The horses need grooming - they are already losing their winter coat. My granddaughter would like to get a horse herself. My grandson likes to take photos with my camera. They are not bad for a three-year old boy.

Cressya emann agan tavas Kernôwek Radn 20b

Building up our Cornish language Part 20b

Here are some more practice sentences using wrüg with a second verb and adverbial indication of time. The second verb is in the form of a verbal noun (gerund in English):

De Lün nei wrüg scrifa an geryow ma. 

On Monday we wrote (did writing) these words.

My wrüg dos tre namnygen.

I came (did coming) home just now.

My wrüg eva bolla de pols alebma.

I drank (did drinking) a cup of tea a moment ago.

Nanj ew termyn hir hei wrüg mos bys en Truru.

A long time ago she went (did going) to Truro.

Gellys hanter cans bledhen ev wrüg gonis en poll prei.

Fifty years ago he worked (did working) in a clay pit.

Degensete nei wrüg redya lever nowydh.

The day before yesterday we read (did reading) a new book.

Newher an gwens a wrüg üja e'n chymbla.

Yesterday evening the wind howled (did howling) in the chimney.

2022 Day 92

 2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens ha Dewdhek

De Sadorn, second (nessa) mis Ebrel

Saturday, 2nd April

Pe liw ew an mor hedhyw? Ew "glas" an ger own? Thew an mor pecar'a ebòrn - ha nag eus bes linen dhû  war an gorwel. Pe liw ew an flourys en gwenton? Gwydn ew an spern dû ha melyn ew an eythin. My a gar lily Corawys melyn ha'n solsow bian gwydn ma. Mons ow tevy gwels e'n vôwnder. Ha gwrewgh mires pur glôs, ma mellyon purpur solabres.

What colour is the sky today? Is "glas" (green/blue/grey) the right colour? The sea is like sky - and there is only a black line on the horizon. What colour are the flowers in spring? The blackthorns are white and the gorse is yellow. I love yellow Lent lilies (daffodils) and these white narcissi. They are growing wild in the lane. And look closely, there are purple violets already.

Building up our Cornish Language Part 20a

Cressya emann agan tavas Kernôwek Radn 20a

We have looked at ways of saying things in the past, present and future. We need to have a deeper look at how you indicate the moment in time.

Here are some adverbs we can use with the past tense.

We can use "wrüg" with a variety of verbs to make a past tense (usually seen as a sort of compound preterite).

Here's a sentence from Jôwan Chei a Horr (John of Ram's House)

"... ha war an diwedh e wrüg dos dhe chei tiek

 ha wrüg whilas ena whel dhe wil."

at last he came (did come) to a farmer's house

and sought (did seek) there work to do

"war an diwedh" can be seen as an adverb of time, answering the question "when?"

Here are some other examples useful with any past tense:

en termyn eus passyes in a time that is passed (once upon a time)

pell tremenys long past

pell dhe'n eur-ma long ago

nanj ew termyn hir a long time ago

nanj ew  (ago) can be used with a variety of time periods 

(more on this later when we look at numbers)

Alternatives to nanj ew are 

gellys (gone) and

alebma ~ lebma (from here)

e.g. nebes dedhyow gellys a few days ago

e.g. pols alebma a moment ago

More specific times include

de yesterday

de vettin yesterday morning

(an) degensete (on) the day before yesterday

newher ~ newer (SWFM nyhewer) yesterday evening

For recent times, you have

a-dhiwedhes recently

namnygen just now

2022 Day 91

2022 Dedh Pajar Ügens  hag Üdnek

De Gwener, kensa mis Ebrel
Friday, 1st April

E'n dedhyow an Romans âwncyent, an kensa jorna en pub mis o an "calends". An ger a veu kemerys emann e'n tavas Kernôwek aval "Calan" po "Halan". Hedhyw ew "Calan Ebrel" ("dedh bobbys Ebrel" en Sowsnek). An kensa dedh mis Dû  ew Calan Gwav (po Du Halan Gwav). Ma Du Halan an Vledhen ewedh, an kensa dedh an vledhen nowydh. En mis Me ma dhen "Cala Me". Eus gwelys genowgh gesyow bobbys Ebrel hedhyw? Thera dhen howlsplan teg hanter dedh, saw my a welas foto a ergh en Truru (meur ras CornwallLive). A veu hedna ges? Na veu! Gwir o, keth o còtt, en mettin avarr.

In the days of the ancient Romans, the first day in every month was the "calends". The word was taken up in the Cornish language as "Calan" or "Halan". Today is the first of  April ("April Fools' Day" in English). The first day of November is the first of Winter. There is the first day of the year as well, the first day of the new year. In May we have first of May (May Day). Have you seen any April fools jokes today? We had beautiful sunshine at midday, but I saw a photo of snow in Truro (thank you CornwallLive). Was that a joke? No! It was real, though brief, in the early morning.

Building up our Cornish language Part 19b

Cressya emann agan tavas Kernôwek Radn 19b

Let us continue looking at the use of gwil~gül to do~make as an auxiliary verb.

Here is the preterite (simple past tense) which is widely used with other verbs to make a past tense. The following forms are mainly used for questions and negative statements.

Preterite 

1 sg: wrügam, wrüga vy 

2 sg: wress ta, wrüss ta, wress ta jy 

3 sg: wrüg,

m: wrüg ev, wrüg e,

f: wrüg hei;

(When the meaning is 'made': wras after subject )

1 pl: wressen, wressa nei 

2 pl: wressow(gh), wrügow(gh), wrüga whei, wressa whei

3 pl: wrüssons, wrügons, wrüg anjei  

However, the most useful word to remember is the neutral 3rd person singular wrüg - used with all persons for affirmative statements,

Here are some examples:

A wrüss ta desky Kernôwek hedhyw? Did you learn any Cornish today?

My a wrüg desky nebes Kernôwek de. I learnt some Cornish yesterday. (I did/made learning some Cornish yesterday.)

Wrüga whei redya an lever nowydh? Did you read the new book?

Na wrüg! No!