Table of Contents Sentences Guide to Imitated Pronunciation Grammar Points: •  The Mutations •  The Definite Article: The •  The Possessive Pronouns •  The Preposition DHE •  The Preposition GANS •  To Be: Present Tense - Short Form •  To Be: Present Tense - Long Form •  Present and Future Tense using GUL •  Simple Past Tense using GUL •  Perfect Tense •  Past Continuous Tense - BOS Short Forms •  Past Continuous Tense - BOS Long Forms •  Future Continuous Tense •  Extra Verb Forms Guide to Imitated Pronunciation a is a as in father ah is a long a ai is the ai as in aisle e is e as in pet eh is e as in pet, but held for longer ee is ee, as in Pete e-oo is e followed by a very short oo sound, like a w ee-oo is ee followed by a very short oo sound, like a w i is i as in pit ih is i as in pit, but held for longer i-oo is i followed by a very short oo sound, like a w o is o as in pot oh is o as in pot, but held for longer, like the sound of aw in law oa is a long o as in boat (but without the w sound at the end), as in French beau oo is oo as in put ooh is a long oo, as in fool o-oo is o followed by a very short oo sound, like a w oy is oy as in boy ö is like the -ir in bird (but without the r sound), as in French peu or German schön öh is a long ö uh is like the -er in father (but without the r sound at the end) ü is an i sound with the lips rounded as if for a u sound, as in French tu or German müde üh is a long ü ü-oo is ü followed by a very short oo sound, like a w dh is th as in then hw is a breathy w, as in when and which kh is the guttural sound at the end of loch or Bach ng is the sound of ng in singer rr is a long r sh is the sh as in shop th is the th as in thick Grammar Points m = masculine, f = feminine, pl = plural, coll = collective The Mutations The Soft Mutation (Second Mutation, Lenition) The letters b, ch, d, g, k, m, p and t are affected by the soft mutation. Examples of the soft mutation are: benyn to venyn (woman), chi to ji (house), dydh to dydh (day), golan to wolan (seagull), gras to ras (thanks), ki to gi (dog), mamm to vamm (mother), pows to bows (dress) and tus to dus (people, men). Special note: In the soft mutation, go- and gu- mutate to wo- and wu-, gro- and gru- mutate to wro- and wru-. For example, godh changes to wodh (mole) and gwrowsen to wrowsen (gooseberry). Before all other letters, g- is dropped. For example, garr changes to arr (leg) and gras to ras (thanks). Some examples of words that cause the soft mutation are: a (of and relative particle), dew and diw (two, m and f), all dual nouns, dha (your), dhe (to), mar (so), na (negative relative particle), ny (negative particle), pur (very), re (too and perfect particle), war (on) and y (his). For example: a-bell (from a + pell) a-bel afar, long distance dew dhydh (from dew + dydh) de-oo dhihdh two days dha garr (from dha + karr) dha garr your car dhe Gernow (from dhe + Kernow) dhuh Ger-no-oo to Cornwall mar deg (from mar + teg) mar dehg so beautiful na wra (from na + gwra) na wrah that he doesn't do ny wonn (from ny + gonn) ni won I don't know pur dha (from pur + da) pühr dhah very good re vras (from re + bras) reh vrahz too big war gamm (from war + kamm) war gam backwards y das (from y + tas) i dahz his father dewlagas vras (from dewlagas + bras) de-oo-la-gas vrahz big eyes Special note: unn (one) and an (the) cause the soft mutation for singular feminine nouns and plural masculine nouns denoting people. For example: an vowes (the girl) but an mowysi (the girls), and an maw (the boy) but an vebyon (the boys). Two exceptions to this rule are an vergh (the horses) from margh (horse), and an veyn (the stones) from men (stone). For example: unn vugh (from unn + bugh) ün vühkh one cow unn bluven (from unn + pluven) ün blü-ven one pen An adjective that follows a singular feminine noun or a plural masculine noun denoting people also takes the soft mutation. However, if an adjective appears before any noun, it causes that noun to take the soft mutation. For example: hager-gowas (from hager + kowas) ha-ger go-was downpour tesen gales (from tesen + ales) te-zen ga-les biscuit Special note: Remember that the adjective does not take the soft mutation after a plural feminine noun tesennow kales (biscuits) kanoryon dha (from kanoryon + da) ka-nor-yon dhah good singers When two nouns form a compound word, the second noun usually takes the soft mutation. For example: talgamma (from tal + kamma) tal-gam-ma to frown degvledhen (from deg + bledhen) deg-vle-dhen decade Special note: The adjective brav (fine) never undergoes soft mutation. The noun gorsedh (meeting of bards) mutates to orsedh. The noun gew (woe) mutates to wew. The Breathed Mutation (Third Mutation, Spirant, Aspiration) The letters k, p and t are affected by the breathed mutation. Examples of the breathed mutation are: ki to hi (dog), pows to fows (dress) and tas to thas (father). Some examples of words that cause the breathed mutation are: ow (my), hy (her), aga (their), tri and teyr (three, m and f) and dy' (day, from dydh). Special note: the letter combinations of kl- and kr- do not undergo the breathed mutation. For example: ow klapkodh (my mobile) and tri krokodil (three crocodiles). For example: ow hath (from ow + kath) o-oo hahth my cat hy fluven (from hy + pluven) hi flü-ven her pen aga thas (from aga + tas) a-ga thahz their father tri harr (from tri + karr) tree harr three cars Special note: Before a feminine noun, tri changes to teyr (pronounced te-ir). teyr hador (from teyr + kador) te-ir ha-dor three chairs Dy' Halan Genver (from Dy' + Kalan + Genver) Di Ha-lan Gen-ver New year's Day, also called Kalan Genver The Hard Mutation (Fourth Mutation, Provection) The letters b, d and g are affected by the hard mutation. Examples of the hard mutation are: bonkya to ponkya (knocking), dybri to tybri (eating) and gul to kul (doing). Some examples of words that cause the hard mutation are: ow (present participle particle), mar/mars/mara (if) and a (if). For example: ow pratha (from ow + bratha) o-oo pra-tha biting ow telinya (from ow + delinya) o-oo te-leen-ya drawing ow kwari (from ow + gwari) o-oo kwa-ree playing mar po res (from mar + bo + res) mar poh rehz if necessary a pe henna gwir (from a + be + henna + gwir) a peh hen-na gweer if that were true The Mixed Mutation (Fifth Mutation) The letters b, d, g and m are affected by the mixed mutation. Examples of the mixed mutation are: byw to fyw (live/switched on), down to town (deep), garow to harow (coarse/rough) and marow to farow (dead/switched off). In the mixed mutation, go-, gu-, gro- and gru- are treated as if they originate from gwo-, gwu-, gwro- and gwru-. So for example, they mutate to hwo-, hwu-, hwro- and hwru-. Special note: The letter combinations of gl- and gr- do not undergo the mixed mutation. For example: y glanha ev (he cleans) and maga grasek (as grateful). Some examples of words that cause the mixed mutation are: kyn (although), maga (as), may (that), ple (where?), p'eur (when?), y (affirmative verbal particle) and yn (adverbial particle). For example: kyn fydh (from kyn + bydh) kin fihdh although it will be maga ta (from maga + da) ma-ga tah as well y harmas hi (from y + garmas + hi) i har-mas hee she shouted y hwelav vy (from y + gwelav) i hwe-lav vih I see y hwrug ev (from y + gwrug + ev) i hwrühg ehv he did y hwobrenyn ni (from y + gobrenyn) i hwo-bre-nin nee we hired y hwrommya ev (from y + grommya + ev) i hwrom-mya ehv he was growling prag y fynnowgh hwi mos? (from prag + y + mynnowgh + hwi + mos) prahg i fin-no-ookh hwee mohz? why do you (pl) want to go? The Mixed Mutation after 'TH (Fifth Mutation after 'TH) The second person infixed pronoun and possessive 'th (you/your) differs from normal mixed mutation. After 'th, b and m become v rather than f, and gw becomes w rather than hw. Examples of the different mixed mutation after 'th are: broder to vroder (brother), gwel to wel (he/she sees) and mamm to vamm (mother). For example: dhe'th vodh (from dhe'th + bodh) dhuhth vohdh as you wish y'th tysklyver (from y'th + dysklyver) yth tisk-li-ver in your text-book ha'th haver (from ha'th + gaver) hath ha-ver and your goat nebonan a'th helwis (from nebonan + a'th + gelwis) ne-bo-nan ath hel-wis someone called you my a'th wel (from my + a'th + gwel) mih ath wehl I see you hi a'th wormelas (from hi + a'th + gormelas) hee ath wor-me-las she praised you dhe'th vamm (from dhe'th + mamm) dhuhth vam to your mother The Nasal Mutation There are only a few words which still show traces of the nasal mutation. For example, the word dor (earth, ground, soil) has two forms after the definite article. It may be the expected an dor or it may also be found as an nor when it means the earth as opposed to heaven, an nev. This form may also be found in the word an norvys (the world) or an Norvys (the Earth). Another common word for the world is an bys. An older alternative for an dhavas (the sheep) is an navas. The word unnek from unn + deg also shows a previous nasal mutation. Other alternative mutations found are heb dhout alongside the more common heb dout (without doubt/of course), and heb wow (from heb + gow, really/truly). The Definite Article: The The definite article the is an. The definite article an causes singular feminine nouns to take the soft mutation. Plural masculine nouns denoting people also take the soft mutation after the definite article an. For example, tus to an dus (men/people), and gwarioryon to an warioryon (players). An addition to this rule is mergh to an vergh (horses). Singular feminine nouns and masculine animate plural nouns that begin with b, ch, d, g ,k, m, p and t undergo soft mutation. Examples of the soft mutation are: bugh to vugh (cow), dragon to dhragon (dragon), gaver to aver (goat), goodh to woodh (goose), kath to gath (cat), myrgh to vyrgh (daughter), penn-seythen to benn-seythen (weekend) and tra to dra (thing). Special note: In the soft mutation, go- and gu- mutate to wo- and wu-, gro- and gru- mutate to wro- and wru-. For example, godh changes to wodh (mole) and gwrowsen to wrowsen (gooseberry). Before all other letters, g- is dropped. For example, garr changes to arr (leg) and gras to ras (thanks). For example: an dyskador an dis-ka-dor the teacher (male) an dhyskadoryon (from an + dyskadoryon) an dhis-ka-dor-yon the teachers (male) an dhyskadores (from an + dyskadores) an dhis-ka-do-res the teacher (female) an dyskadoresow an dis-ka-do-re-zo-oo the teachers (female) an kaner an ka-ner the singer (male) an ganoryon (from an + kanoryon) an ga-nor-yon the singers (male) an ganores (from an + kanores) an ga-no-res the singer (female) an kanoresow an ka-no-re-zo-oo the singers (female) an chilader an chee-la-der the burglar (male) an jiladron (from an + chiladron) an jee-lad-ron the burglars (male) an jiladres (from an + chiladres) an jee-lad-res the burglar (female) an chiladresow an chee-lad-re-zo-oo the burglars (female) an tas an tahz the father an dasow (from an + tas) an da-zo-oo the fathers an vamm (from an + mamm) an vam the mother an mammow an mam-mo-oo the mothers an venyn (from an + benyn) an ve-nin the woman an benenes an be-ne-nes the women an gollell (from an + kollell) an gol-lel the knife an kelylli or an kellyl an ke-lil-lee or an kel-lil the knives an bows (from an + pows) an bo-ooz the dress an powsyow an po-oo-zyo-oo the dresses an lann (from an + glann) an lan the bank (of river etc) an glannow an glan-no-oo the banks (of river etc) an woon (from an + goon) an goan the moor an gonyow an gon-yo-oo the moors an lo de an loh deh the teaspoon an loyow te an lo-yo-oo teh the teaspoons Special note: The word te (tea) mutates to de after the singular feminine noun lo (spoon). However, it does not mutate after a plural feminine noun loyow (spoons). This rule can also be seen with other nouns following either feminine singular nouns or masculine plural nouns denoting people. For example, tesen gales (biscuit) and tesennow kales (biscuits), melin wyns (windmill) and melinyow gwyns (windmills) as well as lewyer kyttrin (bus driver) and lewyoryon gyttrin (bus drivers) and medhek dens (dentist) and medhogyon dhens (dentists). There are exceptions to this rule. A word that begins with either k-, p-, or t- does not mutate after a feminine singular noun or a masculine plural noun denoting men if it ends with either -th or -s. So for example, loyas te (teaspoonful), mowes teg (pretty girl), an yeth kernewek (the Cornish language) and finweth tooth (speed limit). Most speakers also extend this to the phrase nos da! (good night!) instead of the expected nos dha!. Collective nouns do not mutate after an. Note that the collective and the plural have different meanings. For example: an avanen (the raspberry), an avanennow (the raspberries, countable) and an avan (the raspberries, uncountable) an gnowen dhor (the peanut), an knowennow dor (the peanuts, countable) and an know dor (the peanuts, uncountable) an gnowen goko (the coconut), an knowennow koko (the coconuts, countable) and an know koko (the coconuts, uncountable) an selsigen (the sausage), an selsigennow (the sausages, countable) and an selsik (the sausages, uncountable) an wenenen (the bee), an gwenennow (the bees, countable) and an gwenen (the bees, uncountable) an biesen (the magpie), an piesennow (the magpies, countable) and an pies (the magpies, uncountable) an vlewen (the hair), an blewennow (the hairs, countable) and an blew (the hair, uncountable) an welsen (the blade of grass), an gwelsennow (the blades of grass, countable) and an gwels (the grass, uncountable) an lughesen (the bolt of lightning), an lughesennow (the bolts of lightning, countable) and an lughes (the lightning, uncountable) an dewesen (the grain of sand), an tewesennow (the grains of sand, countable) and an tewes (the sand, uncountable) The definite article an always causes dew (two, masc) and diw (two, fem) to mutate to dhew and dhiw. Following these rules, dual nouns which always begin with either dew- or diw- also mutate after the definite article an. For example, an dhewlagas (the eyes) and an dhiwskovarn (the ears). Special note: Words that follow dew and diw also undergo mutation and stay singular. For example, an dhew vaw (the two boys, from an + dew + maw) and an dhiw vowes (the two girls, from an + diw + mowes). Special note: The word dydh (day) takes the irregular form jydh after the definite article. For example: an jydh (from an + dydh) an jihdh the day an dedhyow an dedh-yo-oo the days Special note: After dew (two), dydh takes the more regular form dhydh to become dew dhydh (two days). The word dyowl (devil) takes the irregular form jowl after the definite article. For example: an jowl (from an + dyowl) an jo-ool the devil The word dor (earth, ground, soil) has two forms after the definite article. It may be the expected an dor or it may also be found as an nor when it means the earth as opposed to heaven, an nev. This form may also be found in the word an norvys (the world) or an Norvys (the Earth). Another common word for the world is an bys. The Possessive Pronouns The possessive pronouns ow (my), hy (her) and aga (their) cause the breathed mutation. The letters k, p and t are affected by the breathed mutation. Examples of the breathed mutation are: ki to hi (dog), pluven to fluven (pen) and tas to thas (father). The letters b, ch, d, g, k, m, p and t are affected by the soft mutation. Examples of the soft mutation are: bysow to vysow (ring), chi to ji (house), dillas to dhillas (clothes), gorhel to worhel (ship), gras to ras (thanks), ki to gi (dog), mamm to vamm (mother), pows to bows (dress) and tigen to digen (handbag). For example: ow thas o-oo thahz my father dha das dha dahz your father y das i dahz his father hy thas hi thahz her father agan tas a-gan tahz our father agas tas a-gas tahz your (pl) father aga thas a-ga thahz their father The Prepositions The Preposition DHE The preposition dhe, which means to, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express possession and states such as yma nown dhe (to be hungry), yma seghes dhe (to be thirsty), yma edhom dhe (to need), yma own dhe (to be afraid), yw res dhe (to have to) and yw gwell dhe (to be better to). dhymm dhim to me dhis dheez to you dhodho dho-dho to him dhedhi dhe-dhee to her dhyn dhihn to us dhywgh dhi-ookh to you (plural) dhedha dhe-dha to them For example: Yma nown dhedhi. I-mah no-oon dhe-dhee. She is hungry. (Literally: There is hunger to her/She has hunger.) Yma seghes dhyn. I-mah se-hes dhihn. We are thirsty. (Literally: There is thirst to us/We have thirst.) Yma own dhymm. I-mah o-oon dhim. I am afraid. (Literally: There is fear to me/I have fear.) Res yw dhyn koska. Rehz i-oo dhihn kos-ka. We have to sleep. (Literally: It is necessary to us to sleep.) Gwell yw dhedha mos lemmyn. Gwel i-oo dhe-dha mohz lem-min. They'd better go now. (Literally: It is better to them to go now.) The Preposition GANS The preposition gans, which means with, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express temporary possession and feelings such as yw da gans (to like), yw gwell gans (to prefer), yw da gans (to dislike), yw kas gans (to hate) and yw mall gans (to be keen to). genev ge-nev with me genes ge-nes with you ganso gan-zo with him gensi gen-zee with her genen ge-nen with us genowgh ge-no-ookh with you (plural) gansa/gansans gan-za/gan-zans with them For example: Yw da gensi choklet. I-oo dah gen-zee chok-let. She likes chocolate. (Literally: It is good with her chocolate.) Yw gwell genen pastiow. I-oo gwel ge-nen pas-tee-o-oo. We prefer pasties. (Literally: It is better with us pasties.) Yw drog genev an fylm na. I-oo drohg ge-nev an film na. I don't like that film. (Literally: It is bad with me that film.) Nyns eus toknys genen. Ninz öhz tok-nis ge-nen. We don't have (any) tickets on us/with us. (Literally: There are no tickets with us.) For more prepositions and how to combine them with personal pronouns, see here for more details. To Be: Present Tense - Short Form This short form of to be is used to show identification (ie. I am someone or I am something) as well as together with an adjective for description (ie. I am tired). Yth ov / Nyns ov vy morlader. Ith ohv / Ninz ohv vih mor-la-der. I am (not) a pirate. Yth os / Nyns os jy/ta morlader. Ith ohz/ Ninz ohz jih/ta mor-la-der. You are (not) a pirate. Yth yw / Nyns yw ev morlader. Ith i-oo / Ninz i-oo ehv mor-la-der. He is not a pirate. Yth yw / Nyns yw hi morladres. Ith i-oo / Ninz i-oo hee mor-lad-res. She is not a pirate. Yth on / Nyns on ni morladron. Ith ohn / Ninz ohn nee mor-lad-ron. We are not pirates. Yth owgh / Nyns owgh hwi morladron. Ith o-ookh / Ninz o-ookh hwee mor-lad-ron. You (plural) are (not) pirates. Yth yns / Nyns yns i morladron. Ith ihnz / Ninz ihnz ee mor-lad-ron. They are (not) pirates. Questions are formed by using the appropriate form of the verb at the start of the question. The question particle a is not used with forms of the verbs bos (to be) or mos (to go) which start with a vowel. For example, Os ta skwith? (Are you tired?) Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or nag + the verb for no. Yw hi morladres? Yw. Nag yw. I-oo hee mor-lad-res? I-oo. Nag i-oo. Is she a pirate? Yes. No. Yns i lowen? Yns. Nag yns. Ihnz ee lo-wen? Ihnz. Nag ihnz. Are they happy? Yes. No. To Be: Present Continuous Tense - Long Form Affirmative Statements This long form of to be is used to show location (ie. I am here) and is also used together with verbal nouns to show continuous actions (ie. I am eating). Yth esov vy ow tybri. Ith e-zov vih o-oo tib-ree. I am eating. Yth esos jy/ta ow tybri. Ith e-zoz jih/ta o-oo tib-ree. You are eating. Yma ev/hi ow tybri. I-mah ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she is eating. Yth esen ni ow tybri. Ith e-zen nee o-oo tib-ree. We are eating. Yth esowgh hwi ow tybri. Ith e-zo-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) are eating. Ymons i ow tybri. I-mons ee o-oo tib-ree. They are eating. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun and follows the verb, always use the singular form of the verb: Yma’n fleghes y'n kegin. I-man fle-hes in ke-gin. The children are in the kitchen. Yma’n moryon omma. I-man mor-yon om-ma. The ants are here. Negative Statements Nyns esov vy ow tybri. Ninz e-zov vih o-oo tib-ree. I am not eating. Nyns esos jy/ta ow tybri. Ninz e-zoz jih/ta o-oo tib-ree. You are not eating. Nyns usi ev/hi ow tybri. Ninz ü-zee ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she is not eating. Nyns esen ni ow tybri. Ninz e-zen nee o-oo tib-ree. We are not eating. Nyns esowgh hwi ow tybri. Ninz e-zo-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) are not eating. Nyns esons i ow tybri. Ninz e-zons ee o-oo tib-ree. They are not eating. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun, always use the singular form of the verb: Nyns usi an fleghes y'n kegin. Ninz ü-zee an fle-hes in ke-gin. The children are not in the kitchen. Nyns usi an moryon omma. Ninz ü-zee an mor-yon oa-ma. The ants are not here. Questions and Answers Esov vy ow tybri? E-zov vih o-oo tib-ree? Am I eating? Esos jy/ta ow tybri? E-zoz jih/ta o-oo tib-ree? Are you eating? Usi ev/hi ow tybri? Ü-zee ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree? Is he/she eating? Esen ni ow tybri? E-zen nee o-oo tib-ree? Are we eating? Esowgh hwi ow tybri? E-zo-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree? Are you (plural) eating? Esons i ow tybri? E-zons ee o-oo tib-ree? Are they eating? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or nag + the verb for no. Usi hi ow tybri? Usi. Nag usi. Ü-zee hee o-oo tib-ree? Ü-zee. Nag ü-zee. Is she eating? Yes. No. Usi an trethysi y'n kyttrin? Esons. Nag esons. Ü-zee an tre-thi-zee in kit-treen? E-zons. Nag e-zons. Are the passengers on the bus? Yes. No. Special note: When the subject is an indefinite noun, use the verb eus instead of usi: Eus arghans? Öhz ar-hans? Is there (any) money? Eus arghans genes? Öhz ar-hans ge-nes? Do you have (any) money on you/with you? BUT: Usi an arghans y'th pocket? Ü-zee an ar-hans ith po-ket? Is the money in your pocket? Eus bleujennow omma? Öhz blö-jen-no-oo om-ma? Are (any) flowers here? Eus, yma bleujennow omma. Öhz, i-mah blö-jen-no-oo omma. Yes, there are flowers here. Nag eus, nyns eus bleujennow war an moos. Nag öhz, ninz öhz blö-jen-no-oo war an moaz. No, there aren’t (any) flowers on the table. / No, there are no flowers on the table. BUT: Usi an bleujennow war an moos hwath? Ü-zee an blö-jen-no-oo war an moaz hwahth? Are the flowers on the table yet? The Simple Present Tense and Simple Future Tense using GUL Affirmative Statements The various tenses can be expressed in simple sentences by using the auxiliary verb gul (to do) together with a verb. In Cornish, the simple present and the simple future are both expressed in the same way using the auxiliary verb gul (to do). My a wra gweles. Mih a wrah gwe-les I see. / I will see. Ty a wra gweles. Tih a wrah gwe-les. You see. / You will see. Ev a wra gweles. Ehv a wrah gwe-les. He sees. / He will see. Hi a wra gweles. Hee a wrah gwe-les. She sees. / She will see. Ni a wra gweles. Nee a wrah gwe-les. We see. / We will see. Hwi a wra gweles. Hwee a wrah gwe-les. You (plural) see. / You (plural) will see. I a wra gweles. Ee a wrah gwe-les. They see. / They will see. There are also other methods to form the Simple Present Tense using conjugated forms of the verb. See here for more details. Negative Statements Ny wrav vy gweles. Ni wrahv vih gwe-les. I don't/won't see. Ny wredh jy/wre'ta gweles. Ni wrehdh jih/wreh-ta gwe-les. You don't/won't see. Ny wra ev/hi gweles. Ni wra ehv/hee gwe-les. He/she don't/won't see. Ny wren ni gweles. Ni wrehn nee gwe-les. We don't/won't see. Ny wrewgh hwi gweles. Ni wre-ookh hwee gwe-les. You (plural) don't/won't see. Ny wrons i gweles. Ni wrohns ee gwe-les. They don't/won't see. Questions and Answers Replace the negative particle ny with the question particle a or the negative question particle a ny. A wra hi gweles? Gwra. Na wra. A wra hee gwe-les? Gwrah. Na wrah. Does/Will she see? Yes. No. A ny wrons i gortos? Gwrons. Na wrons. A ni wrohns ee gor-tos? Gwrohns. Na wrohns. Don't/Won't they wait? Yes. No. Special note: The intended future can also be expressed using the auxiliary verb mynnes instead of gul. This construction implies an intention or willingness to perform the action. For example: A vynn ev gweres? Mynn. Na vynn. A vin ehv gwe-res? Min. Na vin. Will he help? Yes. No. A vynnons i neuvya? Mynnons. Na vynnons. A vin-nons ee növ-ya? Min-nons. Na vin-nons. Will they swim? Yes. No. The Simple Past Tense using GUL Affirmative Statements The various tenses can be expressed in simple sentences by using the auxiliary verb gul (to do) together with a verb. In Cornish, the simple present and the simple future can be be expressed using the the auxiliary verb gul (to do) together with a verb. My a wrug gweles. Mih a wrühg gwe-les I saw. (Literally: I did see.) Ty a wrug gweles. Tih a wrühg gwe-les. You saw. Ev/hi a wrug gweles. Ehv/hee a wrühg gwe-les. He/she saw. Ni a wrug gweles. Nee a wrühg gwe-les. We saw. Hwi a wrug gweles. Hwee a wrühg gwe-les. You (plural) saw. I a wrug gweles. Ee a wrühg gwe-les. They saw. There are also other methods to form the Simple Past Tense using conjugated forms of the verb. See here for more details. Negative Statements Ny wrug vy gweles. Ni wrühg vih gwe-les. I didn't see. Ny wrussys jy/wruss'ta gweles. Ni wrüs-sis jih/wrüs-ta gwe-les. You didn't see. Ny wrug ev/hi gweles. Ni wrühg ehv/hee gwe-les. He/she didn't see. Ny wrussyn ni gweles. Ni wrüs-sin nee gwe-les. We didn't see. Ny wrussowgh hwi gweles. Ni wrüs-so-ookh hwee gwe-les. You (plural) didn't see. Ny wrussons i gweles. Ni wrüs-sons ee gwe-les. They didn't see. Questions and Answers Replace the negative particle ny with the question particle a or the negative question particle a ny. A wrug hi gweles? Gwrug. Na wrug. A wrühg hee gwe-les? Gwrühg. Na wrühg. Did she see? Yes. No. A ny wrussons i gortos? Gwrussons. Na wrussons. A ni wrüs-sons ee gor-tos? Gwrüs-sons. Na wrüs-sons. Didn't they wait? Yes. No. To Be: Simple Past Tense Y feuv / Ny beuv gwelys. I föhv / Ni böhv gwe-lis. I was / wasn't seen. Y feus / Ny beus gwelys. I föhz / Ni böhz gwe-lis. You were / weren't seen. Y feu / Ny beu gwelys. I föh / Ni böh gwe-lis. He/she was / wasn't seen. Y feun / Ny beun gwelys. I föhn / Ni böhn gwe-lis. We were / weren't seen. Y fewgh / Ny bewgh gwelys. I fe-ookh / Ni be-ookh gwe-lis. You (plural) were / weren't seen. Y fons / Ny bons gwelys. I fohnz / Ni bohns gwe-lis. They were / weren't seen. Special note: It is possible in affirmative statements to use the construction my a beu, ty a beu etc. Note that beu does not undergo the soft mutation. Hwi a beu goslewys. Hwee a böh goz-le-wis. You (plural) were heard. Ty a beu howlleskys. Tih a böh ho-ool-les-kis. You were/got sunburnt. The Perfect Tense The Perfect Tense is only used in the affirmative. Take the third person singular of the simple past tense and replace the particle a with re. The particle re causes the soft mutation. The third person conjugated simple past tense is usuully formed by taking the verbal stem and adding -as or -is. So for example, gweles becomes gwelas, prena becomes prenas and dybri becomes dybris. My re welas. Mih reh we-las I have seen. Ty re welas. Tih reh we-las. You have seen. Ev re welas. Ehv reh we-las. He has seen. Hi re welas. Hee reh we-las. She has seen. Ni re welas. Nee reh we-las. We have seen. Hwi re welas. Hwee reh we-las. You (plural) have seen. I re welas. Ee reh we-las. They have seen. Special note: In the perfect tense, beu does not undergo the soft mutation. My re beu gwelys. Mih reh böh gwe-lis. I have been seen. Ty re beu kevys. Tih reh böh ke-vis. You have been found. Was/Were: The Past Continuous Tense - Short Forms This past continuous form of to be is used to show identification (ie. I was someone or I was something) as well as together with an adjective for description (ie. I was tired). Yth en / Nyns en vy skwith. Ith ehn / Ninz ehn vih skweeth. I was (not) tired. Yth es / Nyns es jy/ta skwith. Ith ehz / Ninz ehz jih/ta skweeth. You are (not) tired. Yth o / Nyns o ev skwith. Ith oh / Ninz oh ehv skweeth. He is not tired. Yth o / Nyns o hi skwith. Ith oh / Ninz oh hee skweeth. She is not tired. Yth en / Nyns en ni skwith. Ith ehn / Ninz ehn nee skweeth. We are not tired. Yth ewgh / Nyns ewgh hwi skwith. Ith e-ookh / Ninz e-ookh hwee skweeth. You (plural) are (not) tired. Yth ens / Nyns ens i skwith. Ith ehnz / Ninz ehnz ee skweeth. They are (not) tired. Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or nag + the verb for no. O hi yeyn? O. Nag o. Oh hee ye-in? Oh. Nag oh. Was she cold? Yes. No. Ens i serrys? Ens. Nag ens. Ehnz ee ser-ris? Ehnz. Nag aynz. Were they angry? Yes. No. To Be: The Past Continuous Tense - Long Forms This long form of to be is used to show location (ie. I was here) as well as being used together with verbal nouns to show continuous actions (ie. I was eating). Affirmative Statements Yth esen vy ow tybri. Ith e-zen vih o-oo tib-ree. I was eating. Yth eses jy/ta ow tybri Ith e-zes jih/ta o-oo tib-ree. You were eating. Yth esa ev/hi ow tybri. Ith e-za ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she was eating. Yth esen ni ow tybri. Ith e-zen nee o-oo tib-ree. We were eating. Yth esewgh hwi ow tybri. Ith e-ze-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) were eating. Yth esens i ow tybri. Ith e-zens ee o-oo tib-ree. They were eating. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun and follows the verb, always use the singular form of the verb: Yth esa an fleghes ow tybri. Ith e-za an fle-hes o-oo tib-ree. The children were eating. Yth esa an moryon ow tybri. Ith e-za an mor-yon o-oo tib-ree. The ants were eating. Special note: This tense is used when someone or something is described as being in a place: Yth esen vy y'n kegin. Ith e-zen vih in ke-gin. I was in the kitchen. Yth esa an fleghes omma. Ith e-za an fle-hes om-ma. The children were here. There are also other methods to form the Past Continuous Tense using conjugated forms of the verb. See here for more details. Negative Statements Nyns esen vy ow tybri. Ninz e-zen vih o-oo tib-ree. I was not eating. Nyns eses jy/ta ow tybri. Ninz e-zes jih/ta o-oo tib-ree. You were not eating. Nyns esa ev/hi ow tybri. Ninz e-za ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she was not eating. Nyns esen ni ow tybri. Ninz e-zen nee o-oo tib-ree. We were not eating. Nyns esewgh hwi ow tybri. Ninz e-ze-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) were not eating. Nyns esens i ow tybri. Ninz e-zens ee o-oo tib-ree. They were not eating. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun, always use the singular form of the verb: Nyns esa an fleghes ow tybri. Ninz e-za an fle-hes o-oo tib-ree. The children were not X. Nyns esa an moryon ow tybri. Ninz e-za an mor-yon o-oo tib-ree. The ants were not eating. Special note: This tense is used when someone or something is described as not being in a place: Nyns esen vy y'n kegin. Ninz e-zen vih in ke-gin. I was not in the kitchen. Nyns esa an fleghes omma. Ninz e-za an fle-hes om-ma. The children weren't here. Questions and Answers Esen vy ow tybri? E-zen vih o-oo tib-ree? Was I eating? Eses jy/ta ow tybri? E-zes jih/ta o-oo tib-ree? Were you eating? Esa ev/hi ow tybri? E-za ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree? Was he/she eating? Esen ni ow tybri? E-zen nee o-oo tib-ree? Were we eating? Esewgh hwi ow tybri? E-ze-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree? Were you (plural) eating? Esens i ow tybri? E-zens ee o-oo tib-ree? Were they eating? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or nag + the verb for no. Esa hi ow tybri? Esa. Nag esa. E-za hee o-oo tib-ree? E-za. Nag e-za. Was she eating? Yes. No. Esa an maw y'n stevel an klass? Esa. Nag esa. E-za an ma-oo ste-vel an klas? E-za. Nag e-za. Was the boy in the classroom? Yes. No. Esa pennow gwynn y'n vilva? Esa. Nag esa. E-za pen-no-oo gwin in vil-va? E-za. Nag e-za. Were there penguins at the zoo? Yes. No. Esa an pennow gwynn war an rew? Esens. Nag esens. E-za an pen-no-oo gwin war an re-oo? E-zens. Nag e-zens. Were the penguins on the ice? Yes. No. The Future Continuous Tense Affirmative Statements The future forms of to be can be used for both identification and description sentences as well as location and verbal sentences. For example, y fydhav vy morlader (I will be a pirate), y fydh ev yeyn (he will be cold), y fydh hi omma (she will be here) y fydhyn ni ow tos (we will be coming). Y fydhav vy ow tybri. I fi-dhav vih o-oo tib-ree. I will be eating. Y fydhydh jy ow tybri I fi-dhidh jih o-oo tib-ree. You will be eating. Y fydh ev/hi ow tybri. I fihdh ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she will be eating. Y fydhyn ni ow tybri. I fi-dhin nee o-oo tib-ree. We will be eating. Y fydhowgh hwi ow tybri. I fi-dho-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) will be eating. Y fydhons i ow tybri. I fi-dhonz ee o-oo tib-ree. They will be eating. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun and follows the verb, always use the singular form of the verb: Y fydh an fleghes ow tybri. I fihdh an fle-hes o-oo tib-ree. The children will be eating. Y fydh an moryon ow tybri. I fihdh an mor-yon o-oo tib-ree. The ants will be eating. Negative Statements Ny vydhav vy ow tybri. Ni vi-dhav vih o-oo tib-ree. I won't be eating. Ny vydhydh jy ow tybri. Ni vi-dhidh jih o-oo tib-ree. You won't be eating. Ny vydh ev/hi ow tybri. Ni vihdh ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree. He/she won't be eating. Ny vydhyn ni ow tybri. Ni vi-dhin nee o-oo tib-ree. We won't be eating. Ny vydhowgh hwi ow tybri. Ni vi-dho-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree. You (plural) won't be eating. Ny vydhons i ow tybri. Ni vi-dhonz ee o-oo tib-ree. They won't be eating. Questions and Answers A vydhav vy ow tybri? A vi-dhav vih o-oo tib-ree? Will I be eating? A vydhydh jy ow tybri? A vi-dhidh jih o-oo tib-ree? Will you be eating? A vydh ev/hi ow tybri? A vihdh ehv/hee o-oo tib-ree? Will he/she be eating? A vydhyn ni ow tybri? A vi-dhin nee o-oo tib-ree? Will we be eating? A vydhowgh hwi ow tybri? A vi-dho-ookh hwee o-oo tib-ree? Will you (plural) be eating? A vydhons i ow tybri? A vi-dhonz ee o-oo tib-ree? Will they be eating? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or na + the verb for no. A vydh hi owth eva? Bydh. Na vydh. A vihdh hee o-ooth e-va? Bihdh. Na vihdh. Will she be drinking? Yes. No. A ny vydh ev ow tos ynwedh? Bydh. Na vydh. A ni vihdh ehv o-oo tohz in-wedh? Bihdh. Na vihdh. Won't he be coming too? Yes. No. EXTRA VERB FORMS The Simple Present Tense - Using A + Verb Affirmative Statements The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. The first set of sentences using a plus the third person singular of the verb. This structure can only be used in affirmative sentences and emphasises the subject. It is more colloquial than the second set of sentences which has the conjugated verb at the start of the sentence. More colloquial version which emphasises the subject by placing it first: My a wel X. Mih a wehl X I see X. Ty a wel X. Tih a wehl X. You see X. Ev/hi a wel X. Ehv/hee a wehl X. He/she sees X. Ni a wel X. Nee a wehl X. We see X. Hwi a wel X. Hwee a wehl X. You (plural) see X. I a wel X. Ee a wehl X. They see X. Back to Present Tense using GUL or learn more about the Present Tense using fully conjugated verbs ... The Present Tense - Conjugated Verbs A conjugated form also exists for the present tense. The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. More formal version which emphasises the verb by placing it first: Y hwelav X. I hwe-lav X. I see X. Y hwelydh X. I hwe-lidh X. You see X. Y hwel X. I hwehl X. He/she sees X. Y hwelyn X. I hwe-lin X. We see X. Y hwelowgh X. I hwe-lo-ookh X. You (plural) see X. Y hwelons X. I hwe-lons X. They see X. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun and follows the noun, always use the singular form of the verb: Y hwel an fleghes X. I hwehl an fle-hes X. The children see X. Y hwel an moryon X. I hwehl an mor-yon X. The ants see X. Negative statements and questions are formed using the conjugated forms of the verb. Ny welav vy X. / A welav vy X? I don't see X. / Do I see X? Ny welydh jy/ta vy X. / A welydh jy/ta X? You don't see X. / Do you see X? Ny wel ev/hi X. / A wel ehv/hi X? He/she doesn't see X. / Does he/she see X? Ny welyn ni X. / A welyn ni X? We don't see X. / Do we see X? Ny welowgh hwi X. / A welowgh hwi X? You (plural) don't see X. / Do you (plural) see X? Ny welons i X. / A welons i X? They don't see X. / Do they see X? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or na + the verb for no. A wel hi yn kler? Gwel. Na wel. A wehl hee in klehr? Gwehl. Na wehl. Does she see clearly? Yes. No. Back to Present Tense using GUL. The Simple Past Tense - Using A + Verb The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. The first set of sentences using a plus the third person singular of the verb. This structure can only be used in affirmative sentences and emphasises the subject. It is more colloquial than the second set of sentences which has the conjugated verb at the start of the sentence. More colloquial version which emphasises the subject by placing it first: My a welas X. Mih a we-las X I saw X. Ty a welas X. Tih a we-las X. You saw X. Ev/hi a welas X. Ehv/hee a we-las X. He/she saw X. Ni a welas X. Nee a we-las X. We saw X. Hwi a welas X. Hwee a we-las X. You (plural) saw X. I a welas X. Ee a we-las X. They saw X. Back to Simple Past using GUL or learn more about the Simple Past Tense using fully conjugated verbs .... The Simple Past Tense - Conjugated A conjugated form also exists for the simple past tense. The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. More formal version which emphasises the verb by placing it first: Y hwelis X. I hwe-lis X. I saw X. Y hwelsys X. I hwel-sis X. You saw X. Y hwelas X. I hwe-las X. He/she saw X. Y hwelsyn X. I hwel-sin X. We see X. Y hwelsowgh X. I hwel-so-ookh X. You (plural) saw X. Y hwelsons X. I hwel-sons X. They saw X. Special note: When the subject is a definite plural noun or a collective noun and follows the noun, always use the singular form of the verb: Y hwelas an fleghes X. I hwe-las an fle-hes X. The children saw X. Y hwelas an moryon X. I hwe-las an mor-yon X. The ants saw X. Negative statements and questions can also be formed using the conjugated verb. Ny welis vy X. / A welis X? I didn't see X. / Did I see X? Ny welsys X. / A welsys jy/ta X? You didn't see X. / Did you see X? Ny welas ev/hi X. / A welas ehv/hi X? He/she didn't see X. / Did he/she see X? Ny welsyn X. / A welsyn X? We didn't see X. / Did we see X? Ny welsowgh X. / A welsowgh X? You (plural) didn't see X. / Did you (plural) see X? Ny welsons X. / A welsons X? They didn't see X. / Did they see X? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or na + the verb for no. A welas hi an hogh Gyni? Gwelas. Na welas. A we-las hee an hohkh Gi-nee? Gwe-las. Na we-las. Did she see the Guinea pig? Yes. No. Back to Simple Past using GUL. The Past Continuous Tense - Using A + Verb The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. This first set of sentences uses a plus the third person singular of the verb. This structure can only be used in affirmative sentences and emphasises the subject. My a weli X. Mih a we-lee X I was seeing X. Ty a weli X. Tih a we-lee X. You were seeing X. Ev/hi a weli X. Ehv/hee a we-lee X. He/she were seeing X. Ni a weli X. Nee a we-lee X. We were seeing X. Hwi a weli X. Hwee a we-lee X. You (plural) were seeing X. I a weli X. Ee a we-lee X. They were seeing X. Back to Past Continuous using BOS or learn more about the Past Continuous Tense using GUL ... The Past Continuous Tense - Using GUL This set of sentences using the auxiliary verb gul emphasises the subject and is more colloquial. The next set of sentences emphasises the verb and is more formal. More colloquial version which emphasises the subject by placing it first: My a wre gweles. Mih a wreh gwe-les I was seeing. (Literally: I was doing seeing.) Ty a wre gweles. Tih a wreh gwe-les. You saw. Ev/hi a wre gweles. Ehv/hee a wreh gwe-les. He/she saw. Ni a wre gweles. Nee a wreh gwe-les. We saw. Hwi a wre gweles. Hwee a wreh gwe-les. You (plural) saw. I a wre gweles. Ee a wreh gwe-les. They saw. Negative statements and questions can also be formed using the conjugated forms of gul, which are as follows: Ny wren vy gweles. / A wren vy gweles? I wasn't seeing. / Was I seeing? Ny wres jy/ta gweles. / A wres jy/ta gweles? You weren't seeing. / Were you seeing? Ny wre ev/hi gweles. / A wre ev/hi gweles? He/she wasn't seeing. / Was he/she seeing? Ny wren ni gweles. / A wren ni gweles? We weren't seeing. / Were we seeing? Ny wrewgh hwi gweles. / A wrewgh hwi gweles? You (plural) weren't seeing. / Were you (plural) seeing? Ny wrens i gweles. / A wrens i gweles? They weren't seeing. / Were they seeing? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or na + the verb for no. A wre hi gweles yn kler? Gwre. Na wre. A wreh hee gwe-les in klehr? Gwreh. Na wreh. Was she seeing clearly? Yes. No. Back to Past Continuous using BOS or learn more about the Past Continuous Tense using fully conjugated verbs ... The Past Continuous Tense - Conjugated A conjugated form also exists for the past continuous tense. The verb used here is gweles (to see). Remember that the particles a, ny and na cause the soft mutation, and the particle y causes the mixed mutation. More formal version which emphasises the verb by placing it first: Y hwelyn X. I hwe-lin X. I was seeing X. Y hwelys X. I hwe-lis X. You were seeing X. Y hweli X. I hwe-lee X. He/she were seeing X. Y hwelyn X. I hwe-lin X. We were seeing X. Y hwelewgh X. I hwe-le-ookh X. You (plural) were seeing X. Y hwelens X. I hwe-lens X. They were seeing X. Negative statements and questions are also formed using the conjugated forms of the verb, which are as follows: Ny welyn vy X. / A welyn vy X? I wasn't seeing X / Was I seeing X? Ny welis jy/ta X. / A welis jy/ta X? You weren't seeing X / Were you seeing X? Ny weli ev X. / A weli ev X? He wasn't seeing X / Was he seeing X? Ny weli hi X. / A weli hi X? She wasn't seeing X / Was she seeing X? Ny welewgh hwi X. / A welewgh hwi X? You (plural) weren't seeing X / Were you (plural) seeing X? Ny welens i X. / A welens i X? They weren't seeing X / Were they seeing X? Special note: Questions are answered using by repeating the verb for yes or na + the verb for no. A weli hi yn kler? Gweli. Na weli. A we-lee hee in klehr? Gwe-lee. Na we-lee. Was she seeing clearly? Yes. No. Back to Past Continuous using BOSor learn about extra prepositions and how to combine them with personal pronouns ... EXTRA PREPOSITIONS The Preposition A The preposition a, which means of and from, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express movement away from an object or location. The preposition a combines with an to become a'n, with omma to become alemma (from here or from now), and with ena to become alena (from there or from then). The preposition a causes the following word to take the soft mutation. ahanav of me ahanas of you anodho of him anedhi of her ahanan of us ahanowgh of you (plural) anedha of them For example: My re klewas anodho. Mih reh kle-was a-no-dho. I have heard about it. (Literally: I have heard of it.) Ev a wra gorra with ahanowgh. Ehv a wrah gor-ra weeth a-ha-no-ookh. He will take care of you (plural). Ro dhymm gwedrennas anodho, mar pleg! Roh dhim gwe-dren-nas a-no-dho, mar plehg! Give me a glass of it, please! Oll ahanan a dhe'n kevewi. Ol a-ha-nan ah dhuhn ke-ve-wee. All of us are going to the party. Nebes anedha a vydh dewisys. Ne-bes a-ne-dha a vihdh de-wi-zis. Some of them will be chosen. The Preposition ORTH The preposition orth, which means at and against, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express being close to something, or in contact with something. It is used in many phrases. This preposition also replaces the particle ow when a personal pronoun appears before the verb. orthiv at me orthis at you orto at him orti at her orthyn at us orthowgh at you (plural) orta at them For example: Yth esen vy ow goslowes orta. Ith e-zen vih o-oo koz-lo-wes or-ta. I was listening to them. (Literally: I was listening at them.) My a vynn mires orto. Mih a vin mee-res or-to. I want to look at it. Yma hi ow kewsel orta. I-mah hee o-oo ke-oo-zel or-ta. She is talking to them. (Literally: She is speaking at them.) My a vynnsa orti prena pysk hag asklos. Mih a vin-sa or-tee pre-na pihsk hag as-kluhs. I would like her to buy fish and chips. (Literally: I would like at her to buy fish and chips.) Yma ev orth y wul lemmyn. I-mah ehv orth i wühl lem-min. He is doing it now. The Preposition RAG The preposition rag, which means for or in front of, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express being in front of something, or to show cause of purpose. It also appears as a-rag and a-dherag (in front of or before). ragov for me ragos for you ragdho for him rygdhi for her ragon for us ragowgh for you (plural) ragdha for them My a brenas an desen ma ragos. Mih a bre-nas an de-zen ma ra-gos. I bought this cake for you. Hemm a wra dha witha ragdha. Hem a wrah dha wee-tha rag-dha. This will protect you from them. (Literally: This will guard you before them.) Ni a bysi ragdho. Nee a bi-zee rag-dho. We were praying for it. Res a vydh dhis y gudha rygdhi. Rehz a vihdh dheez i gü-dha rig-dhee. You will have to hide it from her. (Literally: You will have to hide it before her.) Ev a skeusas ragon. Ehv a skö-zas ra-gon. He escaped from us. (Literally: He escaped before us.) Ygor o an daras ha'm mab a'y esedh a-dheragdho. I-gor oh an da-ras ham mahb ai e-zedh a-dhuh-rag-dho. The door was open and my son was sitting in front of it. The Preposition WAR The preposition war, which means on and upon, changes form when used together with pronouns. This preposition is used to express position and direction. It is also used in the phrases yma anwos war (to have a cold). The preposition war causes the following word to take the soft mutation. The preposition war can combine with an to become war'n. It also appears in the preposition a-dhywar (from off or from off the top of). warnav on me warnas on you warnodho on him warnedhi on her warnan on us warnowgh on you (plural) warnedha on them For example: Yma anwos warnedhi. I-mah an-wuhs war-ne-dhee. She has a cold. (Literally: There is a cold on her.) My a wra gwitha warnedha. Mi a wrah war-ne-dha gwee-tha. I will look after them. (Literally: I will guard on them.) Y fydh kregi warnas jy. I fihdh kre-gee war-nas ji. It will depend on you. (Literally: It will hang on you.) Na grodhvol warnodho! Na grodh-vol war-no-dho! Don't complain about it! (Literally: Don't complain on it!) Res yw dhymm ynia warnodho. Rehz i-oo dhim i-nee-a war-no-dho. I must insist (upon it). (Literally: It is necessary to me to insist on it.) Back to the Preposition DHE