Page:A handbook of the Cornish language; Chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature.djvu/111

92 2. Rarely and irregularly, by the alteration of the root vowel as well as by the change of initial. This, however, though mentioned by Lhuyd and occasionally found in MSS., was practically obsolete long before his time.

The plural of adjectives is formed by the addition of yon or on. Rarely, chiefly in poetry, this plural is found in agreement with a plural noun, but usually qualifying adjectives are treated as indeclinable, but for the initial mutation, and the plural form is only used, as a general thing, when an adjective is used as a noun.

The normal position of the adjective is after the noun. Sometimes it precedes it, and in that case it changes the initial of the noun to the second state, unless the adjective is in the comparative or superlative degree, when the initial is unchanged. The adjectives that most commonly precede the noun are drag, evil; ken, old; len, full; hager, ugly; fals, false; cam, crooked. Mer, great, may come before or after.

The comparative degree is formed by adding ah and the superlative by adding a to the positive, but as in English they can also be formed by the use of moy, more, and moyha, most. There are, of course, the usual irregular comparisons. The comparative or superlative adjective usually precedes the noun which it qualifies, though for the sake of verse or on account of emphasis it may follow it, sometimes with the definite article intervening. Than after a comparative is es (older ys or ages) or vel.

Examples of the use of adjectives:-
 * Den gallosek, a powerful man.
 * Benen deg, a fair woman.
 * Mergh dewon, or mergh dew, black horses.
 * Benenes teg, fair women.
 * An hen dhen, the old man. (The more usual expression is an den coth).