Greetings and politeness in Cornish
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the eleven openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Cornish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Cornish phrases in this lesson
- Dydh dadeeth DAH
- Hello
- Myttin daMIT-in DAH
- Good morning
- Gorthugher dagor-THOO-gher DAH
- Good evening
- Duw genesdew GEN-es
- Goodbye
- Dha welesdha WEH-les
- See you
- Mar plegmar PLEHG
- Please
- Meur rasmur RAHS
- Thank you
- Ny vernnee VERN
- You're welcome
- Drog yw genevdrohg ew GEN-ev
- Sorry
- Gav dhymmgav THIM
- Excuse me
- Da yw genev dha welesdah ew GEN-ev tha WEL-es
- Nice to meet you
Literally "good day". This is the standard greeting in modern Cornish.
The usual greeting during the morning. "Da" means good.
Said arriving anywhere in the evening. At bedtime, "nos da" (nohz DAH), good night.
The standard farewell to one person. "Duw genowgh hwi" is the plural or formal form.
The casual see you.
Add this to the end of a request, much as you would add please in English.
The everyday way to thank someone. It literally carries the sense of many thanks.
Literally "it doesn't matter", the everyday reply to thanks.
Literally "it is bad with me", the real apology.
To get someone's attention or to ask to pass. Literally "allow me".
Literally "it is good with me to see you".