2025 Day 235

 2025 Dedh Dew Cans Pemdhek warn Ügens

De Sadorn, tryja warn ügens mis Est

Saturday, 23rd August

Ma whans dhebm a leverel whedhel dhewgh. E vedh othom a lies dedh dhe scrifa an daralla. Ma towl dhebm dhe ûsya "bos" en pub lavar. My venja gwil hedna - saw a vedh hedna possybyl? Otta an kensa radn bian.

I want to tell you a story. It will need many days to write the tale. I have a plan to use "to be" in every sentence. I would like to do that - but will that be possible? Here is the first little part.

  

The "droll tellers" went around the country earning their living by telling stories. Here is my "daralla".

BOS locative is colour coded red (including participle and secondary verbs). 

BOS descriptive is colour coded green (including particle and personal pronouns).

Where English has an active verb, Cornish often uses a passive construction with dhe to or gen with/by.

 

First we introduce some of the characters.

Tristan ew maw. Tristan is a boy.

Ma hôr, Rosa, dhe Tristan. Tristan has a sister, Rosa. (There is a sister, Rosa, to ...) (names resist mutation)

Rosa ew mos (mowes), deg bloodh coth. Rosa is a girl, ten years old. (maw + fem. ending > mowes >mos)

Ma diw hôr dhe Tristan. Tristan has two sisters.

Kettern ew hôr Tristan ha Rosa. Kettern (Katie) is Tristan's and Rosa's sister.

Kettern ha Rosa ew gevellesow kehaval (pur haval). Katie and Rosa are identical twins.

Ma whans dhe Rosa a olifans gwydn. Rosa wants a white elephant. (There is want to Rosa of ...)

Ma fowt dhe Rosa a olifans gwydn. Rosa lacks a white elephant. (There is a lack to Rosa of ...)  

Nag eus olifans gwydn dhe Rosa. Rosa does not have a white elephant.

Ma broder bian, trei bloodh coth, dhe Rosa. Rosa has a little brother, three years old.

Hy broder bian ew henwys Arthor. Arthor henwys ew hy broder bian. Her little brother is named Arthur. (optional word order)

Ma Arthor ow towlel brodnyon ort an gath. Arthur is throwing porridge at the cat.

Ma Rosa ow cofen ort (wor) hy thas. Rosa asks (is asking) her dad. (gofen~goven = to ask: hard mutation g > c after ow)

Ma Rosa ow cofen ort hy mabm. Rosa asks her mum.

Besy ew hy mabm gen Arthor ha'n gath. Her mum is busy with Arthur and the cat.

Nag eus olifans gwydn dhe hy thas. Her dad does not have a white elephant. (tas = dad: breathed mutation t > th after hy = her)

Ma othom dhe Rosa a woven ort hy dama wydn. Rosa needs to ask her grandmother. (soft mutation g > w after a)

Ma Rosa ha Kettern ow mos dhe'n chei aga dama wydn. Rosa and Katie go (are going) to their grandmother's house.

Eus olifans gwydn dhis, a Henvam? Do you have a white elephant, Granny?

Ma dew olifans gwydn dhe Mabm Wydn. Granny has two white elephants.

Üdn olifans ew gwres a blastek. One elephant is made of plastic.

An olifans aral ew gwres a dhans olifans. The other elephant is made of ivory (elephant tooth).

Bes nag ew an olifans-ma gwydn poran. But this elephant is not exactly white.

Nebes melyn ew ev. It is rather yellow.