Lesson 2.1

Nessa Descanz, Secund Descanz – Radn Wonen
SWF: Nessa Descans, Second Descans – Radn Onan
Second (Next) Lesson – Part One

Useful Sentence!

I can’t remember!
Na ellama perri co. SWF: Na ella’ma perthy co’.

I can’t remember exactly!
Na ellama remembra poran! SWF: Na ella’ma remembra poran!

Another note on pronunciation:

Pure, long vowels, using Lhuyd’s spelling:

a (a) = long forward a, rather like a in hare
(Native writers often used aa, as in Praa Sands, or had mute e at end of word, e.g. cathe for cat)
(As you can see, the SWF just misses off the circumflex for this vowel.)

Words with this vowel include:

brân = crow SWF: bran
câr = friend, relative SWF: car
câth = cat SWF: cath
dâ = good SWF: da
dâma = mother SWF: dama
dyrâg (alternative spelling derâg) = in front of SWF: dherag
glâz = blue/green/grey SWF: glas
mâb = son SWF: mab
pykâr (alternative spelling pecâr) = like SWF: pecar
râg = forwards, fore- SWF: rag
tân = fire SWF: tan
tâz = father SWF: tas

e (e) = long closed e, rather like end of cafe in French.

There has been much discussion about the long e sound over the years.
Native writers often put mute e at end of a word, e.g. preze for time,
or used ea, e.g dean for man.
It may have been a "breaking vowel", where the pure sound is followed by a schwa.

Words with eu in SWF may be written with ea in RLC. Then the pronunciation is a long open e, rather like that in French fête.

Words with this vowel include:

alêz = abroad SWF: a-les
awêdh = also, too, as well SWF: y’wedh
bêz = finger SWF: bes
brê = hill SWF: bre
crêz = peace SWF: cres
dên = man SWF: den
gwêl = better SWF: gwell
gwrêg = wife SWF: gwreg
hêl = estuary SWF: heyl
(historically this has many spellings, this corresponds to Lhuyd’s hele)
whêg = sweet, nice, kind SWF: wheg
whêr = trouble SWF:’wher
yên = (alternative spelling yein) = cold SWF: yeyn
kêr = dear SWF: ker
mêr (alternative spelling mear) = great SWF: meur
mi a wêl = I will see SWF: my a wel
nêz = near, closer SWF: nes
nêz ha nêz = closer and closer SWF: nes ha nes
pêl = ball SWF: pel
prêz = time SWF: pres
rêz = need SWF: res
têg = beautiful, pretty SWF: teg