Thursday 9 November 2017

Tabm a Gernow 109 (Making Christmas cards)


Otta nei en Truru e’n dohajedh eus passyes. Nei a wrüg mettya en boosty bian henwys “Lily’s” rag debry li po eva te. Nena nei a wras cartednow  Nadelik en tavas Kernôwek.  Nei a scrifas, “ Nadelik mery” po “Nadelik lôwen dhewgh. Ehes da ha sowena e’n Vledhen Nowydh.”

Pandra dhe dhelinya? 
Nei a dhowesas gwedh Nadelik gen tegednow, kelyn ha idhyow, royow Nadelik, clegh, steren ha garlons, oll en maner Keltek po a’n Brithoryon/Vrithoryon (Pictish). Pe liw ew Nadelik? Gwer/glas ha rüdh martesen! 


Monday 28 August 2017

Tabm a Gernow 108 (white straw)

Scon (whare) e vedh mis Gwedngala (September). Ma cala (straw) solabres en lies gwel. Trehys ew an ys (corn). E'n pras ma barlys (barley) o an drevas (crop). Whei ell godhvos pedn barlysen dhort y vlew hir ha calish. Nag eus blew hir dhe waneth (wheat) po kergh (oats).



Ma garrednow (stalks) berr o sevel en resow. Nag ew an cala whath gwydn en tien, kethew gwydn lowr. An tiek (farmer) a wra doas scon gen y arder (plough). Ev a wra aras an gwel rag an nessa trevas. (En pelder whei ell gweles Goonhavern. En termyn eus passyes gwerwels (pasture) o rag bestys en hav.)



Pe le ma an ys  lebmyn? Martesen kemerys ew dhe chei brihy (brewery) rag gwil cor (martesen "Korev"). Ma meur a gor evys en Kernow!  An cala ew kemerys e'n bargen tir (farm) rag an lodnow (cattle), saw ma radn gerys en pilyow war an tir.


Friday 23 June 2017

Tabm a Gernow 107 (flowers and art)

En cresen lowarth whei ell perna planjow o plejyowa ha whei ell perna has rag gonis losow rag flourys. 



Hedhyw whei ell gweles ha perna flourys en brithow. Ma liwyansow en disqwedhyans art  a wedh gen flourys, arran ha blejow tulifant. Thew an wedh liwys gen liwyow dowr. Liwys en oyl po acrylic ew an arran ha blejow tulifant. Thens gen limners dihaval.



Ew da genowgh whei losow o tevy en keow? Leun a liwyow ew an keow en Kernow. Leun a liwyow ew an brithow e'wedh.



Ma ken maner a obery dhe'n artiss ma. Nag üjy hei o cül devnidh a scübeligow  ha paynt. Na. Hy daffar hei ew  gweljow bian, paper ha glüs. Ma hei o trehy shapys ha composa anjei war wel ken aga glena. Lebmyn thens stag. Otta borelesyow en botel.


Wednesday 21 June 2017

Tabm a Gernow 106 (Art exhibition at garden centre)

Ma Cresen Lowarth Chacewater ogas dhe Truru. Der hedna, teller da ew rag disqwedhyans art Bagas Art Truru. Ma golow da dhedhy rag mires orth an pictours. Ma coffy da e'n chei coffy e'wedh.


Mars eus whans dhewgh, whei ell redya (po perna) An Pader (the Lord's Prayer) en Kernowek Cres. Dornscrif teg ew, afinys gen crowsow.



Mater meurgerys ew godhviles (bestes gwels) ha enevales dov (pets). Ma lies imach broas ha bian en devnidhyow diffrans, rag ensampel: liwyow oyl, liwyow dowr ha glow.   Otta trei margh. Onan ew gwydn. Ma va o ponya üskis. Ma tiek gen pemp margh o conis y wel. Ass ew broas an para (team). Martesen ma'n tryja margh en y stabel. A wra ev pôtya (kick) po stankya (stamp)?

 



"Nader margh" henwys ew an best ma, saw nag ew ev margh (best pajar trosek) -  prev ew gen whegh garr ha skelly (wings).  



Ma nebes edhnow e'n pictours ma. Ma yer ha cülyek ogas dhe crow anjei. Ma yar wharthüs e'wedh. Edhnow dov ens.

 

Ma hevelenebow a elergh gwydn o neyja war lydn po ryver, scowl rüdh (kite) ha oula o neyja en ayr. Pandr'ew hedna en ewines oula?  Haval ew dhe loor leun!




Thera nei en Kernow. Endella ma edhnow mor, gulanes dres oll.
Pednow gwydn ew edhnow mor e'wedh - saw nag ens dhort Kernow. Da ew ganjans mordardha!

 




Sunday 18 June 2017

Tabm a Gernow 105 (Murdoch Day)

Thera bush broas a düs en Resrüdh de Sadorn, drefen boas Dedh Murdoch. Journa teg o hei. An howl a spladnas ha nag era glaw na gwens. Baners o cregys a ûgh dres an stret gen pobel an dre. Thera marhas vroas e’n stret ha nag era kerry veth. Thera lies stall rag boos ha diwosow ha rag oll sortow taklow e’n stret ahes. 


Thera fer en park kerry o rei marhogethow dhe’n flehes (saw nag era margh veth). Dillas hav o degys gen oll an bes.


Era whans dhewgh a vûsek? Whei alja gasôwes (goslowes) orth organ eth. Pur ûhel ha pur spladn o. Thera bagasow o seny jazz e'wedh.


Otta eth moy! En Kernow ma tüs, lies Kernow, neb a gar jynnys eth, broas ha bian. Gwaryellow gwesyon ens!


Ew hebma den pur hir reb delow an den bal? Nag ew. Thera an den o tegy diwarr hir fouls dadn y wiscas de Sadorn. De Sül y vedh hirder normal.
 

Sunday 4 June 2017

Tabm a Gernow 104 (St Nectan's Well)

An Dowr Trevillet

The River Trevillet
at St Nectan’s Well

This poem by Dorothy Coventon, who lives near Looe, was awarded 2nd prize in the 2013 Charles Causley poetry competition. Translation into Late Cornish by Janice Lobb.


  
Pecar del via ponya, hag adheracty hy honan,
ma’n awon o trefya-scrija dres an lehen,
garma liv e’n tunner killas dû,
ha tredna dhe vason carrek üjy
o scullya dowr tardha
war altar an venten
o whetha en còsel.
As if running, and before herself,
the river spit-screams over the ledge,
shouts a spate into the black slate funnel,
and roars to a rock basin that
pours breaking water
onto the quietly breathing altar
of the well.

 
Hebask ew hei lebmen
ma hy fadellik golow-mirour o tastewidnya
an bramol Downensek Diwedhes. Ma gwedh egina
o qwreydha lebma an edhnow a’s droppyas,
aga scorrow truedhek tollwiskys
en snodow cabmdhavas whans-ha-galar
gerys ena dhe gevarwodha
pejadow hanajys.
She’s still now
her light-mirror saucer reflects
the Late Devonian dome. Sprouting trees
root where the birds dropped them,
their supplicant branches disguised
in wish – and – grief – rainbow ribbons,
left there to guide
whispered prayers.

 

Ma gwris o conjorya war estyl slink.
Ma pedry pronter amethyst o haylya Maria
war delkyow sehys sycamor.
Ma spiris glas o còrtos en mar lelder
reb bottel bian heb ebil –
wheg perfumys kens-
gorherys gen kewny, o posa
war dhelow, a vowes mar danow
en fram stanch, ma war neb cor 
o qwitha segh hy hov.


Crystals implore on slippery ledges.
An amethyst rosary hails Mary
on dried Sycamore leaves.
A blue elf waits in such devotion
by a small moss covered –
once fragrant -
unstopped bottle, that leans
on an icon, of a girl so thin
in a waterproof frame, that somehow
keeps her memory dry.


Lent ew an poll dhe hepcor,
ma’n gwedh, snodow, ha dorgel howlvrith
o còrtos lel dh’y golow-mirour
o terneyja war vily lebm
ha bathow üvel,
amovys gans an wurnel
ha’n Sans heb pedn
eus o kerdhes y dhowr dhe’n mor.   
The pool is slow to let go,
trees, ribbons, and sun-rayed dome
stay devoted to its light – mirror
levitating on keen pebbles
and humble coins,
agitated by the undertow
and the headless Saint
that walks its water to the sea



Friday 26 May 2017

Tabm a Gernow 103 (skies)

Terweythyow thew an eborn blou, heb cloudys. Lowen o nei en hav. Nei ell moas dhe'n tredh ha gwary gen keun. Nag eus mordardh pub dedh. Hedhyw nag era gwens ha nag era todnow. Nei alja neyja saw na alja nei surfya. Na whath, nag era lies person e'n mor, drefen boas mar yeyn an dowr.



Lies gweyth en gwav comolek ew an eborn  ha loos avel lüjiw. Ma hager awel, ha gwenjek ew. Thera todnow obma saw nag era bes üdn den war an tredh gans y stul playnya. Crev ha kelednek ew ev (po muscok?). Bettegens, na wrüg ev beudhy, meur a ras dhe Düw.


 Teg ew howlsedhes (ha howldrevel). Nena nag ew an eborn blou po loos ettien. Rüdh ha melen ew an eborn, dû ew an comol ha ma dhe'n howl semlant a bel owriek a dan. Ma lavar coth: "Eborn rüdh dhe nos, delît bügel." Martesen e vedh journa teg avorow. 



Wednesday 24 May 2017

Taking a new look at Cornish grammar 39 (Interrogative Adjectives)

Interrogative Adjectives

The combination of pe/py which/what and ehen kind as pehen can also be used with a noun to ask what something or someone is like. Instead of asking Pehen ew an den? What is the man like?” you could ask Pehen den ew ev? What kind of man is he?”
Here are examples from old texts:
pahan pleyt yma pilat yn le may ma ha pan semlant vs ganso? 
in what shape is Pilate where he is and what does he look like?
(RD 2058-60)
Pehan tectar!  What beauty! (BK 1711)

Here are some more examples:
Pehên ew an venyn ma?
What is this woman like?
Pehên benyn ew hobma?
What kind of woman is this one?
Pehên benyn o hei?
What kind of woman was she?
Pehên kei ew hedna?
What kind of dog is that one?
Pehên kei ew ev?
What kind of dog is he?

   There is no reason why speakers of Middle Cornish should not use pehen, though they seem to choose not to. It is possible to use py and eghen separately. However, the combination of py which/what and ehen kind combined with a of also gave rise to another contraction pana meaning what kind of. Pana can be used with a noun in the same way as pehen. Instead of asking Pehen den ew ev? What kind of man is he?” you could ask Pana dhen ew ev? However, notice that a meaning of causes a soft mutation (lenition), even when it is not standing alone.
(Affects b>v, c>g, d>dh, k>g, m>v, p>b, t>d)

Here are some examples of comparisons:


Pehên benyn ew hobma?
SWFM Py eghen benyn yw homma?
What kind of woman is this one?

Pana venyn ew hobma?
SWFM Pana venyn yw homma?
Pehên benyn o hei?
SWFM Py eghen benyn o hi?
What kind of woman was she?
Pana venyn o hei?
SWFM Pana venyn o hi?
Pehên kei ew hedna?
SWFM Py eghen ki yw henna?
What kind of dog is that one?
Pana gei ew hedna?
SWFM Pana gi yw henna?
Pehên kei ew ev?
SWFM Py eghen ki yw ev?
What kind of dog is it?
Pana gei ew ev?
SWFM Pana gi yw ev?
Pehên tesen ew?
SWFM Py eghen tesen yw?
What kind of cake is it?
Pana desen ew?
SWFM Pana desen yw?