Saturday 14 January 2017

Taking a new look at Cornish grammar 25 (conjunctions)

We have looked at simple sentences containing a single clause. We have looked at compound sentences, where a subject can do or be more than one thing or where more than one subject can do or be the same thing. Sometimes you want a longer sentence. We can now make a complex sentence by stringing two or more simple sentences together using a conjunction, e.g.

ha (hag before a vowel) and
bes (SWFM mes) but, saw but
po or
ke or ken (SWFM kyn) although/though.
Before the vowel of the verb this combines with the verbal particle, giving keth or kenth (SWFM kynth)

Ma den o tedna kert ha ma benyn owth avalowa.
A man is pulling a cart and a woman is gathering apples.
Me a veu lowen de bes nag o vy lowen lebmyn.
I was happy yesterday but I am not happy now.
Thero nei obma saw thero whei ena.
We are here but you are there.
Ev a wra gwary peldroos avorow po ev a wra moas tre.
He will play football tomorrow or he will go home.
Me a wrüg gwary peldroos kenth o vy skith.
I played football although I was tired.

Here are examples from Jowan Chei a Horr, one of our foundation texts:

Me a vedn moas dhe whiles whel dhe wil ha whei ell dendel gas bownas obma.
I will go to look for work to do and you can earn your living here.
An mona anjei a gavas ha’n bara anjei a dhabras.
They got the money and they ate the bread.


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