A Handbook of the Cornish Language chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature

CHAPTER XII—PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, ADVERBS

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§ 1. Prepositions are of two kinds, simple and compound. Simple prepositions govern various states of the initial. Compound prepositions, when, as is generally the case, they are made up of a simple preposition and a noun, govern the first state, for the noun which follows is really in the appositional genitive. If a compound preposition govern a personal pronoun, the latter is often placed, in its possessive form, between the two component parts of the preposition, governing the initial of the noun-half of it. Sometimes, however, the second part of a compound preposition is a simple preposition, and in that case the government is that of the last preposition of the compound.

SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS.

_a_, of, from, governs second state.

_avel_, _vel_, like, as.

_bis_, up to, as far as (_usque ad_).

_dadn_ or _en dadn_, under.

_der_, _dre_, by, through, governs second state.

_dres_, over, beyond, above.

_dhô_, to, governs second state.

_en_, _edn_, _et_, in. {149}

_er_, see _war_.

_gan_, _gans_, with, by.

_heb_, without, governs second state.

_kens_, before (of time).

_lebmen_, _lemmen_, except, but.

_ŏja_, _wŏja_, after (older form, _wose_).

_rag_, for, because of.

_re_, by (in swearing), governs second state.

_reb_, by, near, beside.

_saw_, save, except, but.

_treba_, _tereba_, until.

_troha_, towards.

_tewa_ (_tewaha_, _tyha_, _tîgh_), towards.

_war_, on, upon (also _er_), governs second state.

_worth_, _orth_, at, to, against.

COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS.

_adres_, across, beyond.

_adro dhô_, _drodho_, about, concerning, govern second state.

_abarth_, _abarh_, beside, on the side of.

_aberth_, _aberh_, within, inside of.

_adheller dhô_, _dheller dhô_ (originally _a dhellergh_), behind, governs second state.

_a dhirag_, _dhirag_, before, in the presence of.

_adheworth_, _dheworth_, _dhŏrt_, from.

_ajŷ_, ’_jŷ_, within (_a_+_chy_, house), generally followed by _dhô_, governing the second state.

_a eugh_, above, over.

_a mes_, _a ves_, _mes_, _en mes_, out of.

_a mesk_, _mesk_, _en mesk_, among.

_a wos_, because of, for the sake of.

_entre_, among.

_erbidn_ or _erbyn_, _warbidn_, against.

_herwedh_, according to.

_marnas_, except, but.

_rag carenja_, for the sake of.

_warlergh_, after.

_ogastî dhô_, near to (_ogastî ogas_, near, _tî_=_tew_, side).

Of these _abarth_, _a mesk_ or _en mesk_, _erbidn_, _rag carenja_, and _warlergh_, are separable when they govern pronouns. Thus:—

_a_ ’_gan parth_, beside us.

_en agas mesk_, among you.

_er ow fyn_, against me.

_rag dha garenja_, for thy sake.

_war e lergh_, after him.

§ 2. Conjunctions.

_ha_, and. Before a vowel, _hag_, except when followed by the article _an_, or by a pronoun beginning with a vowel, in which case the vowel of the second word is elided.

_bes_, _mes_, but.

_saw_, but, except.

_ma_, _may_, that, in order that.

_dre_, _dro_, that.

_erna_, until.

_bis pan_, until.

_treba_, _tereba_, until.

_ken_, though, although.

_awos_, although, notwithstanding.

_pan_, _pa_, _pur_, or _pêr_ (=_pa-êr_) when, govern second state.

_hedre_, whilst.

_spas_, whilst.

_perag_, _prag_, _fraga_, why, wherefore.

_po_, or. _po—po_—=either—or—

_mar_, _mara_, _a_, if. govern fourth state.

_marnas_ (_mar_+_na_+_es_), unless.

_ponî_, _ponag_, unless.

_aban_, since, because.

_dreven_, since, because.

_rag_, for.

_rag own_, lest, for fear.

_vel_, than.

_ages_, _es_, than.

_na_, nor.

_maga_, so, as much as.

§ 3. Adverbs.

Adverbs may be formed from adjectives by prefixing _en_, which generally changes the initial to the second state. Thus _glan_, pure, _en ’lan_, purely. There are some exceptions to this change, _b_ and _m_ sometimes change to _f_, not _v_, _bras_, great, _en fras_, greatly; _mas_, good, _en fas_, well; _d_ sometimes changes to the fourth state, _da_, good, _en ta_, well; and _t_ sometimes remains unchanged, _tin_, sharp, _en tin_, sharply. But we find also _en dhiugel_, certainly, from _diugel_, secure.

ADVERBS OF TIME.

_en êrma_, now (in this hour).

_lemman_, _lebman_, now.

_en tor-ma_, now (in this turn).

_nam_, _nana_, _nanna_, _nans_, now.

_agensow_, just now.

_hedhew_, to-day.

_avorow_, to-morrow.

_trenzha_, the day after to-morrow.

_jedreva_=_dedreja_=_dedh trûja_, the third day hence.

_an journa-ma war seithan_, this day week.

_de_, yesterday.

_genzhete_ (_kens de dedh_), the day before yesterday.

_ternos_, the next day.

_en kenzhoha_ / _boregweth_ } in the morning.

_dohajedh_, in the afternoon.

_gorthewer_, in the evening.

_zîlgweth_, o’ Sundays.

_fast_, presently.

_prest_, _scon_ / _dewháns_, _eskes_ / _defry_, _dhesempes_ } soon, quicky, immediately.

_whath_, still, yet.

_kens_, before (of time).

_kensemman_, ere now.

_kensenna_, ere that.

_ŏja_, _wŏja_, _ŏj’ henna_, _wŏja hedna_, afterwards.

_nenna_, _nana_, _en êrna_, then.

_ŏj’ hemma_, _wŏja hebma_, henceforth.

_warlergh_, afterwards.

_esos_, already.

_avar_, early.

_dewedhes_, late.

_arta_, again.

_kettoth_, _kettoth ha_, as soon as.

_nevra_, ever.

_rag nevra_, for ever.

_benary_, for ever.

_biken_, ever, _bis viken_, for ever.

_besca_, _besqweth_, ever.

_benethy_, _dho venethy_, for ever.

_bepprês_, always.

_hedre_, _spas_, whilst.

_pols_, a while.

ADVERBS OF PLACE.

_ple_, where (either interrogative or not).

_a pele_, _a ble_, whence (either interrogative or not).

_ŭbma_, _ŭmma_, here, hither.

_enna_, there.

_lemma_, _lebma_, here (in this place).

_alemma_, _alebma_, hence.

_alenna_, _en mes alenna_, thence.

_aban_, _avan_, up, above, on high.

_aman_, up, upwards.

_awartha_, above, over.

_awollas_, _warwollas_, below.

_warban_, on high, up above.

_warnans_, down below.

_en hans_, _en nans_, down.

_lĕr_, _lŏr_ (_luer_), down.

_aberth_, _aberh_, within.

_ajŷ_, _jŷ_, within.

_aves_, _ames_, outside.

_tre_, at home.

_adre_, homewards.

_ales_, abroad (_scattya ales_, to “scat” abroad).

_dhô ves_, away.

_kerh_ (formerly _kerdh_), away (_môs kerh_, to go away).

_pel_, far.

_enogas_, _ogas_, near, _ogastî_, near by.

_a rag_, in front.

_en rag_, forward.

_dirag_, forth, before (of place).

_dheller_ (_dellergh_), behind.

_war dheller_, backwards.

_adro_, around.

_adres_, athwart.

_a hes_, along.

ADVERBS OF QUANTITY.

_mêr_, much.

_îthek_, hugely.

_îthek tra_, ever so much.

_vîth mar_, ever so.

_nepeth_, _nebas_, a little.

_lour_, _lŭk lour_, _lŭk_, enough.

_re_, too much.

_kemmes_, _kebmes_, as much.

_vîth_, at all.

_hanter_, half.

ADVERBS OF COMPARISON.

_mar_, so, as.

_ky_—_mal_ / _ky_—_vel_ } as—as (_ky gwerdh velgwels_, as green as grass).

_del_, as.

_della_, _en della_, _en delna_, so, in such manner.

_cara_, _pocara_, _kepara_, _kepar del_, like as, even as, likewise.

_maga_ (governing fourth state), as: _maga ta_, as well, likewise.

_keffres_, _kekeffres_, likewise, also.

_hagŏl_, _hagensŏl_, also.

_a wedh_, _enwedh_, also.

_gwell_, better.

_lakkah_, worse.

_moy_, more.

_leh_, less.

_kens vel_, rather than.

MISCELLANEOUS ADVERBS

_cowal_, _cowl_, quite.

_namna_, almost.

_ken_, else.

_martesan_, perhaps.

_betegens_, nevertheless.

_moghya_, mostly.

_ketel_, _ketella_, so.

_pŭr_ (governing second state), very.

_brâs_ / _fest_ } (placed after an adjective), very.

_ogastî_, nearly, almost.

_warbarth_, _warbarh_, together.

_ni_, _nyns_, _nig_, _na_, _nag_, not. {153}

_hepmar_, doubtless.

_perag_, _prag_, _fraga_, why.

_patla_, _fatel_, _fatla_, how.

_pelta_, much, _pelta gwel_, much better.

_otta_, _welta_, behold.

_nahen_, otherwise.