Page:A handbook of the Cornish language; Chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature.djvu/121

102 GRAMMAR the only ones which possess the four separate forms complete. 2. That the second form of all but these two persons is usually the same as the first form. 3. That the third form is not much used in later Cornish except for the same two persons. It may also be noted that though the full and em- phatic pronunciation of hy, ny, why, andyj) is that of the English words high, nigh, why, and the first syllable of jibe, when, as is often the case, there is no emphasis of any sort on them, the same thing happens to them as commonly happens in rapid speech in English to the word my, and the y ceases to have the sound of i English, but has the sound of a short (not obscure) e English. Thus in the common Cornish "Thank you," mer 'ras dho why, which is sounded as one word, merds- dhawhy, thejj/ has the short sound which the same letter usually has at the end of a word. But it might happen otherwise. Thus the following sentences are within the experience of most of us at the end of some simple commercial transaction: Customer (carelessly, having received the article and paid the money, " Thank you." Shopkeeper (in a half-reproving tone), " Thank you, sir." In Cornish the customer would say " Merdsdhawhy," in the ordinary tone, but the shopkeeper might answer " Merasdkawkf t sira," and would sound the pronoun like the English word why, unless, being a good Cornish speaker, he preferred to say "Mer 'ras dhd 'gas honan" (Thanks to yourself). The same principle applies to hy, ny, and an jy, but . less with the last, which is generally treated as a dis- syllable with the accent on the last syllable.