Cornwall Chat

Kernewek - Lesson Six

Rod: Dha semlant yw splann, ple feus ta?
Chris: You look great, where have you been?

Deb: Pow Frynk, rag ow dy’goelyow
Chris: France, for my holidays

Rod: Fatell wruss’ta mos?
Chris: How did you go?

Deb: My a nijas.
Chris: I flew.

Rod: My a garsa mos di
Chris: I would like to go there

Deb: Prag ny wre’ta?
Chris: Why don’t you?

Rod: Fowt a arghans!
Chris: Lack of money!

Deb: A ny wruss’ta kavoes dy’goel?
Chris: Haven’t you had a holiday?

Rod: Heb mar – unn jydh yn Porth Ia!
Chris: Of course, one day in St. Ives!

Gerva / Vocabulary

An gewer - The weather
Glaw - Rain
Puptydh - Everyday
Dell hevel - It seems
Ple’ma? - Where is?
Howl - Sun
Kellys - Lost
Gwell - Better
Gwell es - Better than
Yrgh - Snow
Gwir - True
An dhargan - The forecast
Gwynek - Windy
Y fydh - It will be

Kernewek - Lesson Five

Rod: Hou Deborah, Fatell yw taklow?
Chris: Hi Deborah, How are things?

Deb: Da lowr – marnas an gewer!
Chris: All right – apart from the weather!

Rod: Yma glaw puptydh, dell hevel
Chris: There’s rain everyday, it seems.

Deb: Eus. Ple’ma an howl?
Chris: There is. Where’s the sun?

Rod: Kellys y’m brys vy!
Chris: Lost I reckon!

Deb: Wel, glaw yw gwell es yrgh.
Chris: Well, Rain is better than snow.

Rod: Henn yw gwir.
Chris: That’s true.

Deb: An dhargan a leveris y fydh gwynsek
Chris: The forecast said it will be windy.

Rod: Na lever henna!
Chris: Don’t say that!

Gerva / Vocabulary

An gewer - The weather
Glaw - Rain
Puptydh - Everyday
Dell hevel - It seems
Ple’ma? - Where is?
Howl - Sun
Kellys - Lost
Gwell - Better
Gwell es - Better than
Yrgh - Snow
Gwir - True
An dhargan - The forecast
Gwynek - Windy
Y fydh - It will be

Kernewek - Lesson Four

Rod: Dohajydh da
Chris: Good afternoon

Deb: Dohajydh da; pandr’a garses ta?
Chris: Good afternoon; what would you like?

Rod: Torth a vara mar plek
Chris: A loaf of bread please.

Deb: Gwynn po leun?
Chris: White or wholemeal?

Rod: Leun, my a breder.
Chris: Wholemeal, I think.

Deb: Ottani. Eus neppyth aral?
Chris: Here we are. Anything else?

Rod: Mar plek; hwegh a’n selsik na.
Chris: Please; six of those sausages.

Deb: Yw henna oll?
Chris: Is that all?

Rod: Dell brederav
Chris: I think so.

Deb: Henn a vydh peuns ugens mar plek
Chris: That will be £1.20 please.

Rod: Otta jy, Peuns ugens.
Chris: Here you are, £1.20.

Deb: Meur rasta. Dydh da.
Chris: Thank you. Good day.

Rod: Dydh da.
Chris: Good day.

Gerva / Vocabulary

Torth - Loaf
Bara - Bread
Torth a vara - loaf of bread
Gwynn - White
Leun - Wholemeal, full
Neppyth - Something
Peuns - Pound (money or weight)
Ugens - Twenty Eus? - Is there? Are there?
Mar plek - Please
Meur rasta - Thankyou
Dydh da - Good day.

Kernewek - Lesson Three

Rod: Gav dhymm! Yw hemma Stret an Eglos
Chris: Excuse me! Is this Church Street?

Deb: Nag yw, yth yw Stret Ledan.
Chris: No, it’s Broad Street.

Rod: Ple’ma Tesco ytho?
Chris: Where’s Tesco’s then?

Deb: Ryb an Gorsav
Chris: By the Station

Rod: Yw henna pell?
Chris: Is that far?

Deb: Nag yw, le es kans lath.
Chris: No, less than a hundred yards.

Rod: Ha ple’ma boesti?
Chris: And where is there a restaurant?

Deb: Yma onan yn Tesco.
Chris: There’s one in Tesco’s.

Rod: Meur rasta
Chris: Thanks.

Gerva / Vocabulary

Stret - Street
Eglos - Church
Ledan - Broad, wide
Gorsav - Station
Pell - Far
Kans - Hundred
Lath - Yard (measure)
Boesti - Restaurant
Yma - There is, there are
Gav dhymm! - excuse me!

Kernewek - Lesson Two (realplayer required)

Rod: Myttin da Deborah!
Chris: Good morning Deborah!

Deb: Myttin da Rod!
Chris: Good morning Rod!

Rod: Ple’ma Margaret?
Chris: Where’s Margaret?

Deb: Y’n gegin, dell brederav
Chris: In the Kitchen, I think

Rod: Meur rasta
Chris: Thanks.

(Chris: Perhaps she is in another room)
Deb: Y’n Chambour
Chris: In the Bedroom

(Chris: Or even…….)
Deb: Y’n Stevel-dybri
Chris: In the Dining-room

(Chris: Of course, there are other places around the house)
Deb: Ple’ma an bara?
Chris: Where’s the bread?

Rod: Y’n Amari
Chris: In the cupboard

Deb: Ple’ma an amanynn?
Chris: Where’s the butter?

Rod: Y’n Yeyner
Chris: In the fridge.

Gerva / Vocabulary

Ple’ma? - Where is?
(An) Gegin - (The) Kitchen
Chambour - Bedroom
Stevel-dybri - Dining-room
Bara - Bread
Amari - Cupboard
Amanynn - Butter
Yeyner - Fridge
Daras - Door
Hel - Hall
Lowarth - Garden
Y’n - In the

Basic Cornish Language (requires realplayer)

Introductory phrases:

‘Formal’ Greetings
Rod: Myttin da!
Chris: Good morning!
audio Lesson 1 >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer

Deb: Dydh da!
Chris: Good day!

Rod: Dohajydh da!
Chris: Good afternoon!

Deb: Gorthugher da!
Chris: Good evening!

‘Informal’ Greetings
Rod: Hou sos!
Chris: ‘Right boy!, ‘Right mate!

‘Formal’ Farewells
Deb: Nos da!
Chris: Good night!

Rod: Dyw genes
Chris: Good-bye (to one person)

Deb: Dyw genowgh
Chris: Good-bye (to more than one person)

‘Informal’ Farewell
Rod: Dha weles!
Chris: See you!

Introductory Chat
Deb: Fatla genes?
Chris: How are you?

Rod: Yn poynt da, (meur rasta)
Chris: Very well, (thankyou)

Deb: Ha ty?
Chris: And you?

Rod: Da lowr
Chris: Okay.

(Alternative reply)
Rod: Nyns oma mar dha
Chris: I’m not so good.

Gerva / Vocabulary

Myttin - Morning
Dydh - Day
Dohajydh - Afternoon
Gorthugher - Evening
Nos - Night
Da - Good
Ha - And
Ty - You (when speaking to one person)
Sos - Friend, ‘Mate’ (when addressing someone)