Lesson 3.1

Trija (Lhuyd = tridzha) Descanz – Radn Wonen
SWF: Tryja Descans - Radn Onan
Third Lesson – Part One
Revised 20 November 2009

Nevraw (SWF: Nivrow)
Numbers used when counting)

0 tra, diu SWF: mann = zero, but also SWF: tra and SWF: du
1 un (rhyme with “bun”), when counting; SWF: on’
before a noun use: idn or edn SWF: udn (SWF pronunciation is idn)
pronoun: wonen SWF: onan
2 deaw (approx. rhymes with “cow”) SWF: dew
3 trei (or try) SWF: trei
4 pajar (Lhuyd = padzhar, rhyme with “badger”) SWF: pajar
The numbers 1 – 4 above are used with masculine nouns (later we will look at the numbers 1
– 4 for female nouns).
5 pemp SWF: pemp
6 whî SWF: whe’
7 seith (sounds approx. like “scythe”) SWF: seyth
8 êth (rhyme with “wraith”) SWF: eth
9 naw (sounds like English “gnaw”) SWF: naw
10 dêg (pronounce “dayg”) SWF: deg

The Cornish are very sensible and say that if you use a number, then there is no need to make the following noun plural, - as you already know there is more than one!
e.g.
five dogs … would be 5 dog … pemp kei SWF: pemp kei
ten houses … would be 10 house … dêg chei SWF: deg chei
six children … would be 6 child … whî floh SWF: whe’ flogh
four rooms … would be 4 room … padzhar rom SWF: pajar rom

Here are some more ADJECTIVES you can use.
côth = old SWF: coth
yunk = young SWF: younk
dâ = good, well SWF: da
drôg = bad SWF: drog
broaz = big SWF: broas
bîan = small SWF: bian
lûan = happy SWF: lowen
trawedhak = sad SWF: truedhek
tubm = hot, warm SWF: tobm
yên or yein = cold SWF: yeyn
fîr = wise SWF: fur
guki = silly SWF: gocky
skientak = clever, intelligent SWF: skiensek
zawk = stupid SWF: sogh
hagar = ugly SWF: hager
têg = beautiful SWF: teg
fettu = pretty (of girl) SWF: fettow
whêg = nice, kind, sweet, dear, etc. SWF: wheg

Here are some NOUNS you can use (you might find some of these useful for your kids – see the rhymes I have posted).
Note that in Cornish there is no separate indefinite article.
(Where you see “a” or “an” it means “the”.)

aval = an apple SWF: aval
(this is also a general word for a fruit, though SWF has frooth and frut for fruit)
benen = a woman SWF: benyn
bêz = a finger, digit SWF: bes
bord = a table, table-top SWF: bord
carr = a car SWF: carr
chei = a house SWF: chei
clowd = a cloud SWF: cloud
cota = a coat SWF: cota
davaz = a sheep SWF: davas
dên = a man SWF: den
descanz = a lesson SWF: descans
fôz = a wall SWF: fos
frigaw (pl.) = a nose, nostrils SWF: frigow
ganaw = a mouth SWF: ganow
gar = a leg SWF: garr
gydhiuhar = an evening SWF: gorthuher
glaun = wool SWF: gwloan
gwrêg = a wife SWF: gwreg
heccamol = a dickybird SWF: heckamola
jûal = a jewel SWF: jowel
kei = a dog SWF: kei
lagaz = an eye SWF: lagas
mâb = a son SWF: mab
maw = a boy SWF: maw
meppig = a little boy SWF: meppik
mester = a master SWF: mester
metten = a morning SWF: mettin
môr = sea SWF: mor
pedn = a head SWF: pedn
rôm = a room SWF: rom
scavarn = an ear SWF: scovarn
(pronounced with stress on last syllable)
scûdh = a shoulder SWF: scoodh
stearan = a star SWF: steren
tîr = land SWF: tir
trûz = a foot SWF: troos
zah = a bag SWF: sagh


Dho drailia (SWF: dhe dreylya)

Exercise One:
Ten apples
Nine sheep
Eight women
Seven sons
Six rooms
Five men
Four dogs
Three boys
Two tables
One lesson


Exercise Two:
1 I am hot.
2 I am happy. (start with adjective)
3 I am not young.
4 Am I nice?
5 He is old.
6 It is cold. (start with adjective)
7 He is not wise.
8 Is he silly?
9 She is pretty.
10 She is good. (start with adjective)
11 She is not stupid.
12 Is she intelligent?
13 We are sad.
14 We are old. (start with adjective)
15 We are not happy.
16 Are we beautiful?
17 You are old.
18 You are stupid. (start with adjective)
19 You are not bad.
20 Are you small?
21 They are happy.
22 They are ugly. (start with adjective)
23 They are not sweet.
24 Are they big?

Exercise Three:
Try answering these questions (mostly about yourself) in Cornish:
1) Piu o whei? SWF: Piw o’whei?
2) Pe hanaw o whei? SWF: Pe hanow o’whei?
3) O whei Kernûak? SWF: O’whei Kernowek?
4) O whei skientak po zawk? SWF: O’whei sogh?
5) O whei yunk po côth? SWF: O’whei younk po coth?
6) O whei têg po hagar? SWF: O’whei teg po hager?
7) Peleh era whei trigaz? SWF: Ple ero’whei trigys?
8) Ewa broaz? SWF: Ew a broas?
9) Ewa ogoz dh’an môr? SWF: Ew a ogas dh’an mor?
10) Era whei trigaz en chei? SWF: Ero’whei trigys en chei?
11) Ewa bîan po broaz? SWF: Ewa bian po broas?
12) Peleh ma an stearan? SWF: Ple ma an steren?
13) Peleh ma Brê Annik? SWF: Ple ma Breanek?

If you would like some feedback, e-mail your answers to me on janicelobb@tiscali.co.uk
If you want advise on how to type the diacritics (accents) or need the timesNRC font, ask me.

Lesson 3.2 follows in June (I missed it out by mistake)