Cornish Soft Mutation

Also known as the second mutation

What is the soft mutation?

Cornish, like all Celtic languages, has a series of initial consonant changes known as mutations. This can be triggered by things such as prepositions, gender or verb conugation.

The first of the mutations that most learners learn is what is called the soft mutation. You may also see it be called the second mutation in other grammar resources.

benyn

a woman

an venyn

the woman

This article will introduce the changes we see in the soft mutation along with when to use it!

So … what changes do we make?

Note that if g, gl or gr come before non-round vowels (a/e/i/y), it will disappear.

  • glaw (rain) → koswik _law (rainforest)

However, if g, gl or gr come before a round vowel, it will become w.

  • grudh (jaw - fem.) → an wrudh (the jaw)

Note that if there is the letters k and t will not mutate if the previous word ends in -s or -th.

  • skath (boat - fem.) → skath teg (a beautiful boat)

When to use the soft mutation:

While it is usually best to learn mutation topic by topic and in context, here is a non-definitive list of the most common places you will find the soft mutation.

The definite article ‘an’

The numeral ‘unn’

The question particle ‘a’

The negative particle ‘na’