A playlet for use with Skeul an Tavas Lesson 12
© 2019 Ray Chubb and Ian Jackson
2nd edition July 2020
Tùbmas and his friend Hecka are waiting to see the doctor. So is another guy, Harry.
TÙBMAS
(To Hecka:) Yma gloos dhybm in ow garr. Eus gloos dhis inwedh?
HECKA
Eus. Yma gloos dhybm in ow heyn.
TÙBMAS
In dha geyn? Wèl, brâs yw an loos i’m garr vy. Mès nyns yw goles ow heyn yn tâ naneyl.
HARRY
Cleves clun yw hedna, heb dowt.
HECKA
Â! Yma gloos cleves clun wàr ow mabm inwedh. Uthyk yw.
TÙBMAS
Pòr uthyk. (To Harry:) Ha pëth yw agas cleves why? Eus gloos dhyso?
HARRY
Nag eus, gloos vëth nyns eus. Mès ny alla’vy cùsca i’n nos, ytho pòr sqwith ov vy pùb eur oll.
HECKA
Ny yll ow gwreg cùsca yn tâ. Yma hy owth esedha i’n gwely hag ow redya, hag ow côwsel inwedh, der oll an nos. Fest uthyk yw.
TÙBMAS
Ogh, nyns yw hedna tra dhâ, dell esof vy ow codhvos. Yma broder dhybm. Mès y wreg, mar ny yll hy cùsca, yma hy ow mos dhe’n gegyn hag ow qwil tesen rag hy gour. Hèn yw gwell rag aga dew.
HARRY
Rag gàn try ny, gwell mars usy an medhek ow tallath y whel. Sqwith ov vy. Sqwith a wortos!
The possessive pronouns themselves are never pronounced with stress: if they need to be reinforced for emphasis, a stressed vy jy etc can be added after the noun. The final v or f of a verb is very frequently omitted: in writing this is often shown by substituting an apostrophe.
Extra vocabulary
gloos ache, pain
i’m (no mutation) is an alternative to in ow, and more common
naneyl either (with a negative)
cleves clun sciatica (literally hip illness)
uthyk dreadful
vëth any (very common to reinforce a negative)
pùb eur oll always (emphatic)
fest very
kegyn kitchen
gour husband
gàn clipped form of agan (like gàs for agas, gà for aga)
gortos wait