Lesson 1.2

Gero Nei Deski Kernuak!
SWF: Gero’nei Desky Kernowek!
Revised Thursday, 15th October 2009

Lesson 1.2
Kenza Descanz – Radn Deaw
SWF: Kensa Descans – Radn Dew
First Lesson – Part Two

Now, you will want to know how to greet other people and pass the time of day.

Greetings

Good day (literally Good morning) to you.
Metten dâ dho whei (or more traditional why)! SWF: Mettin da dhe whei!
(dâ and da rhyme with French née; whei and why sound like English why with exaggerated h)

Good evening.
Godhiuhar dâ. SWF: Gorthuher da.
(rhyme with fewer)

Good night.
Noz dâ. SWF: Nos da.
(sounds rather like gnaws)

Hello!
Yow! SWF: Yow!
(rhyme with flow rather than cow)

Hi, John!
Ha, Jûan! SWF: Ha, Jowan!
(ha is never used on its own)
(name pronounced Jooan)

Hello mate! (and similar)
Ha, soas! SWF: Ha, sos!
(pronounce as zoss)

Hello! Greetings! (and similar)
Anbiic gwell!
(This was found in Late Cornish only, possibly from Welsh)


Farewells

I’m off now.
Voidama lebmen! SWF: Voyda’ma lebmyn!

Till next time
Anowr! SWF: A’n our!
(rhyme with rower rather than cower)

Cheerio! See you again! (equivalent of au revoir, bis bald, etc.)
Trybo nessa! SWF: Terebo nessa!
(Comes from ter bo meaning until be. Do not rhyme first syllable with English fry: y is schwa)

God be with you!
Diu (or more traditional Diw) gena whei! SWF: Duw genow’whei!
(hard g sound in gena)
(as in Welsh, the letter u in the SWF is pronounced as i)

How you feel

How are you? How do you do?
Fatlaganawhei? SWF: Fatla genow’whei?
(fatla gana whei) 3 stresses

Fine (literally well enough), thank you.
Dâ lowr, gramassi/merastawhei. SWF: Da lowr, gromercy/meur ras dhe whei.
(rhyme lowr with English rower)

And you? (A very useful question to turn the conversation!)
Ha whei? SWF: Ha whei?

(I’m) fine too.
Dâ lowr awêdh. SWF: Da lowr y’wedh.
(drop your chin on the last syllable to get the right sound)

I’m tired.
Skîth o ve. SWF: Skith o’vy.
(rhymes with English heath)

I’m happy today.
Lûan o ve hidhu. SWF: Lowen o’vy hedhyw.

I’m cold.
Tho ve yên (may also be yein). SWF: Th o’vy yeyn.
(sounds like yain, but may also be yine)

I’m well.
Yach/Jack o ve. SWF: Yagh o’vy.
(There is a more idiomatic way of saying this – but we’ll do that later.)

I’ve been ill. (I was ill.)
Me a ve clau. SWF: My a veu cloav.
(rhyme with paw)

I have a headache. (literally - There is a bad head to me.)
Ma drog pedn dhem. SWF: Ma drog-pedn dhebm.
(pedn drog means wrong in the head, cruel, etc.)

I was poorly yesterday.
Me a ve clau deh. SWF: My a veu cloav de.
(sounds like start of "death")

Sorry. I’m sorry.
Edrak. Ma edrak dhem. SWF: Edrek. Ma edrek dhebm.

but
buz (or byz) SWF: bes
(unstressed, schwa vowel)

and
ha (sometimes hag before a vowel) SWF: ha (hag before a vowel)