Dyskans 1.2 www.learncornishlanguage.co.uk: 1.2*1/3 Ref: Holyewgh An Lergh 1; 7-9, Skeul An Yeth 1, 2 Existence The basic concepts of existence are expressed in English by the words ‘is’ and ‘is not’, or in certain circumstances ‘are’ and ‘are not’. If something ‘is’ then it exists, if something ‘isn’t’ then it doesn’t exist. The Cornish equivalent is a little more complex because there are more options depending on the circumstances. One of the most important concepts in Cornish is the concept of physical position - where something is. The importance of this will become more obvious as time goes on. Yw ‘Yw’ is the Cornish word which means ‘is’ and it’s used in much the same way as its English equivalent. Yma ‘Yma’ is one of the most commonly-used words in the Cornish language and can be used to mean either ‘there is’ or ‘there are’. It’s most often used to make statements about where things are. e.g.: A1) Yma aval omma There is an apple here B1) Yma chi ena There is a house there CH1) Yma avalow omma There are apples here Eus....? Where ‘yma’ is used to make a statement, ‘eus’ is used to ask a question about the same sort of thing. It means ‘Is there…..?’ or ‘Are there……?’ e.g.: D1) Eus aval omma? Is there an apple here? E1) Eus chi ena? Is there a house there? F1) Eus avalow omma? Are there apples here? Positive And Negative Another of the concepts which makes a big difference in the way Cornish is used is the concept of positivity or negativity. For instance, using ‘Eus.....?’ to ask a question: G1) Eus aval gesys? Is there an apple left? We can give an affirmative answer to this question, using ‘yma’: H1) Yma aval gesys. There is an apple left. We can also give a negative answer if necessary, but it’s important to remember that ‘Yma’ cannot be used in a negative statement, instead you need to use a negative version of ‘Eus’, which is ‘Nyns eus...’: I1) Nyns eus aval gesys There isn’t an apple left. Yes & No It’s worth noting at this point that Cornish has no words for ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but where a question has been asked which uses ‘Eus’, the single word ‘Eus.’ can be used to mean ‘yes’ or the phrase ‘Nag eus.’ to mean ‘no. When using these, it’s important to remember that they’re used on their own and not as part of a larger sentence. e.g.: J1) Eus aval gesys? Is there an apple left? K1) Eus! Yes! (There is!) L1) Nag eus! No! (There isn’t!) M1) Yma aval gesys. There is an apple left. N1) Nyns eus aval gesys. There isn’t an apple left.

Eus avalow omma?

Eus! Yma avalow omma.

Eus boes gesys?

Nag eus! Nyns eus boes gesys.

Eus! Yma boes gesys.

http://www.keskewsel.co.uk/

Exercise 1 www.learncornishlanguage.co.uk: 1.2*2/3 Using the vocabulary at the end, translate the following into Cornish: 1/ There is a pen here. 2/ There are cups. 3/ There is a house beside a river. 4/ There are horses. 5/ Here is a chair! Once you’ve translated the sentences, use ‘Eus.....?’ to make 1-4 into questions and then use ‘Nyns eus...’ to make them into negative statements. What? The Cornish question which means ‘what?’ is ‘Pyth...?’ and it’s used with ‘yw’ in a phrase to mean ‘what is...?’ e.g.: O1) Pyth yw hemma? What is this? P1) Pyth yw henna? What is that? A question about something can also start with ‘yw’. e.g.: R1) Yw hemma karr? Is this a car? S1) Yw henna chi? Is that a house? In either case, the answer to a question of this type (if it is positive) uses ‘yw’. e.g.: T1) Karr yw It is a car (A car it is) U1) Chi yw It is a house (A house it is) A negative answer to this type of question would use the negative form of ‘yw’ which is ‘Nyns yw’. e.g.: V1) Nyns yw karr It is not a car W1) Nyns yw chi It is not a house If you look back at examples T) and U), you can see that where ‘yw’ comes after the thing being described in the positive answer, ‘Nyns yw...’ comes before it in the negative answers in examples V) and W) . If the sentence were longer, ‘Nyns yw...’ would still come at the beginning of the sentence, because whenever you use ‘Nyns...’ it always starts its sentence. We saw in examples K) and L) how ‘Eus’ and ‘Nag eus’ can be used to mean ‘Yes.’ And ‘No.’. You can do the same thing with ‘yw’. On its own it can can be used as the equivalent of ‘Yes.’, and the negative version ‘Nag yw.’ can be used to mean ‘no’. e.g.: Y1) Yw henna karr? Is that a car? A2) Yw. Karr yw. Yes. It’s a car. B2) Nag yw. Nyns yw karr. No. It’s not a car. CH2) Eus karr omma? Is there a car here? D2) Eus. Yma karr omma. Yes. There is a car here. E2) Nag eus. Nyns eus karr omma. No. There isn’t a car here. Exercise 2 Translate the following: 1/ Is there a church here? 6/ Is she happy? 2/ There isn’t a church beside the house 7/ No. She is not happy. 3/ He is tall 8/ Is there a house beside a church? 4/ I am not a book 9/ You are fast 5/ You are not old 10/ There is a church here.

Further work: translate the sentences in Holyewgh An Lergh (I) #8

Pyth yw henna? Karr

yw!

Pyth yw hemma? Yw hemma karr?

Nag yw! Nyns yw karr, chi yw!

Eus! Yma lyver omma.

Eus lyver omma?

Yw henna lyver? omma?

Nag yw! Nyns yw lyver. Ki yw. Yma ki omma.

http://www.keskewsel.co.uk/

www.learncornishlanguage.co.uk: 1.2*3/3 Gerva 1/2 A Ynwedh Also Teylu Family Le / Tyller Place Ha And Skon Fast Gesys Remaining Aval Apple Boes Food Avon River Ryb Beside Karrji Garage Moes Table Lyver Book Lowen Happy Hir Tall/Long Maw Boy Omma Here Henna/Honna That Mes But Margh Horse An.......na That Karr Car Mergh Horses An The Kador Chair Chi House Ena There Eglos Church A-rag In front of Hemma/Homma This Jynn-amontya Computer A-ji Inside An.......ma This Hanaf (ow) Cup (s) Koth Old Gwir True Pluvek Cushion Pluvenn Pen Benyn Woman Ki Dog Den Person

1 2 3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18

19 20 21

22

23 24 25

26

27 28

29

30

31

Krowseryow A-Dreus 1 Computer 5 Negative particle 7 Also 9 Place 11 Remaining 13 Tired 15 Food 18 Person 19 Pen 21 Apple 22 The 23 Happy 25 There 26 Thick 27 Sad 28 Drunk 30 Cups 31 Woman

Yn-nans 2 Young 3 Family 4 The 6 Negative particle 8 Good 10 Beside 12 Quick 14 Thin / Scarce 16 Church 17 Thin / Scarce 18 Sober 20 Book 24 There 28 Boy 29 Ready

http://www.keskewsel.co.uk/

Dyskans 1.2www.learncornishlanguage.co.uk: 1.2*1/3Ref: Holyewgh An Lergh 1; 7-9, Skeul An Yeth 1, 2Existence Yw

YmaEus....?Positive And Negative Yes & NoWhat?Exercise 2www.learncornishlanguage.co.uk: 1.2*3/3Gerva 1/2 A