#gerva

Mar pleg. Please.

Meur ras. Thank you.

Wolkom os ta. You’re welcome. (s)

Wolkom owgh hwi. You’re welcome. (pl)

Drog yw genev. I’m sorry.

Gav dhymm. Excuse me.

Pyth o henna? What was that?

Ny allav vy dha gonvedhes. I can’t understand you. (s)

Ny allav vy agas konvedhes. I can’t understand you. (pl)

Ny gewsav vy Sowsnek. I don’t speak English.

Harow! Help!

Bydh war! Watch out!

Ki (kei) - Dog (m)

Kath (-es) - Cat (f)

Konin (-es) - Rabbit (m)

Hamster (-s) - Hamster (m)

Owrbysk (owrbuskes) - Goldfish (m)

Logos - Mice (collv.)

Rath (-es) - Rat (f)

Margh (mergh) - Horse (m)

Bugh (-es) - Cow (f)

Davas (deves) - Sheep (f)

Gaver (gyvres, gever) - Goat (f)

Hogh (-es) - Pig (m)

Yar (yer) - Chicken (f)

In Cornish and its sister languages, Welsh and Breton, some words don’t have a singular as their base form, they have a “collective” instead. The closest English equivalent is uncountable words for substances, like “water” or “grass”, but in Brythonic languages they can also be used for animals that come in groups, like mice or bees.

Klappkodh - Mobile phone

-> Klapp = chatter; kodh = fall (as in kodh glaw, rainfall, or kodh ergh, snowfall)

Pellwolok - Television

-> Pell = far, distant; golok = look, sight

Aval kerensa - Tomato

-> Aval = apple; kerensa = love. Presumably in reference to the supposed aphrodisiac properties.

Pompyon hweg - Melon

Hello:

Yew! / Hou! Hi!

Dydh da! Hello! (”Good day!”)

Myttin da! Good morning!

Dohajedh da! Good afternoon!

Gorthugher da! Good evening!

Dynnargh dhis! Welcome! (s)

->Dynnargh dhywgh! Welcome! (pl)

How are you?:

Fatel os ta? How are you? (s)

->Fatel owgh hwi? How are you? (pl)

Fatla genes? How’s it going? (s)

->Fatla genowgh hwi? How’s it going? (pl)

Yn poynt da, meur ras. Really well/good, thank you.

Pur dha. Very well/good.

Pur dhrog. Very bad.

Splann. Splendid.

Euthyk. Awful.

Da lowr. Okay / All right.

Ha ty? And you? (s)

Ha hwi? And you? (pl)

Goodbye:

Nos da! Good night!

Duw genes! Goodbye! (”God with you!”) (s)

->Duw genowgh hwi! Goodbye! (”God with you!”) (pl)

Dha weles! See you! (s)

->Agas gweles! See you! (pl)

Lowena dhis: “Happiness to you”; hello or goodbye (s)

My a vynn - I want...

My a yll - I can...

Res yw dhymm - I need...

Da yw genev vy - I like...

Gweles - To see

Gul - To do

Kewsel - To speak

Konvedhes - To understand

Kavos - To have/find/get

Dybri - To eat

Neppyth - Something

Lemmyn - Now

Morvleydh = shark

-> mor = sea; bleydh = wolf; morvleydh = “sea-wolf”

Tykki Duw = butterfly

-> tykki = pretty thing (from "teg”, pretty); Duw = God; tykki Duw = “God’s pretty thing”

Askel groghen = bat

-> askel = wing; kroghen = skin/hide; askel groghen = “leather-wing”

Pluven blomm = pencil

-> pluven = pen, quill, feather (cognate with English "plume"); plomm = lead (cognate with English "plumbing"), pluven blomm = “lead pen” (but the unfamiliar could be forgiven for translating it as “lead feather”)

Skavel gronek = mushroom

Pysk (puskes) - Fish (m)

Reun (-es, -yon) - Seal (m)

Morvil (-es) - Whale (m)

Morvleydh (-es) - Shark (”sea-wolf”) (m)

Morgowles - Jellyfish (collv.)

Morgroban (-es) - Turtle (m)

Kanker (kankres) - Crab (m)

Edhen (ydhyn, edhnow) - Bird (f)

Kowan (-now) - Owl (f)

Golan (-es) - Gull (f)

Kolom (kelemmi) - Dove, pigeon (f)

Bran (brini) - Crow (f)

Er (-es, -yon) - Eagle (m)

Palores (-ow) - Chough (a symbol of Cornwall) (f)

Bargos (-es) - Buzzard (m)

Gwiwer (-es, -ow) - Squirrel (m)

Sort (-es) - Hedgehog (m)

Brogh (-es) - Badger (m)

Lowarn (lewern) - Fox (m)

Bleydh (-es) - Wolf (m)

Ors (-es) - Bear (m)

Karow (kerewi) - Deer (m)

Dowrgi (dowrgeun) - Otter (m)

Kwilkyn (-yow) - Frog (m)

Pryv (preves) - Insect, worm (m)

Hwesker - Insects (collv.)

Kelyon - Flies (collv.)

Gwenen - Bees (collv.)

Moryon - Ants (collv.)

Kevnis - Spiders (collv.)

Melhwes - Snails or slugs (collv.)

Tykki Duw (tykkiow, tykkies) - Butterfly (lit ”God’s pretty thing”) (m)