Pennsylvania Dutch: A Dialect of South German With an Infusion of English

by Samuel Stehman Haldeman

¶ 7. Wii kummt ǝs, dass n deel jung-i leit nimmi deitsch leesǝ un schwetsǝ kennǝ, wann sii mool 'jes' un 'noo' saaghǝ kennǝ? Meim [dative for genitive] nochbǝr, dem Maardi Halsbendl sei˛ eltǝst'r [sohn] suu˛, dær so deitsch waar wii saurkraut des schun siwwǝ mool ufgwærmt iss, waar kærtslich ǝmool in d'r schtatt, un wii ær wiid'r heem kummǝ iss, do waar ær so eng-lisch, dass ær schiir gaar nimmi mit seim daadi un mammi schwetsǝ kann. Sii sin 'nau' arik im 'truwl' un sei˛ daadi meent, sii misst'n iin naus nooch Kniphaus'n schikkǝ, f'r iin wiid'r (widr) deitsch tsu machǝ.

How comes it that some young people are no longer able to read and speak German if they only know how to say 'yes' and 'no'? The eldest son of my neighbor Martin Neckband, who was as Dutch as sourcrout which has been warmed up seven times, was once recently a week in town, and when he had returned home again, there was he so English that he could scarcely speak anymore with his father and mother. They are 'now' greatly in 'trouble,' and his father thinks they must send him out to Kniphausen to make him German again.

¶ 8. Wie kummt ǝs, dass dii aarmi leit geweenlich dii meerschtǝn hund un katsǝ hen? Do bei uns wuunt n famíljǝ, dii als bettǝlǝ muss, un dii fiir groosǝ hund un siwwǝ katsǝ hǝt. Sii selwǝr saaghǝ, sii misst'n so fiil hund hawǝ f'r dii diib aptsuhaltǝ.[65]

How comes it, that poor people (gewöhnlich haben) commonly have the most dogs and cats? Here near us lives a family which must always beg, and which has four large dogs and seven cats. They themselves say, they (müszten haben) were obliged to have so many dogs to keep away the thieves.

§3.

Will widd'r Biiwǝli[66] sei˛.		Will be a Boy again.
¶ 1.		1.
.ǝs reeghǝrt heit, mr kann net naus un s iss so 'loonsǝm' doo im haus; mr wees net wii mr fiilt. ich will mool duu, als wæær ich klee˛ un uf d'r éwǝrscht schpeichǝr gee˛ dart hab ich uftmools kschpiilt.		It rains to-day, one cannot out, and t'is so 'lonesome' in the house; one knows not how one feels, I will once do as were I small and in the highest garret go— there have I ofttimes played.
¶ 2.		2.
.ǝn biiwli bin ich widdǝr jets, wu sin mei˛ krutsǝ un mei˛ klets? 'nau' wært n haus gebaut! ǝs schpiilt sich doch net guut alée˛— ich bin joo doch kee˛ biiwli mee! was kluppt mei, hærts so laut!		An urchin am I now again, where are my corn-cobs and my blocks? 'now' will a house be built! one plays indeed not well alone— I am in fact no urchin more! my heart how loud it beats!
¶ 3.		3.
Harrich! was 'n wunnǝrbaarǝ sach! d'r reeghǝ rapplt uf 'm dach gaar nimmi wii ær hǝt! ich hab 's als kæært mit leichtǝm hærts, nau gepts m'r arik heemwee schmærts, kennt heilǝ wan ich wǝt.		And hark! how wonderful it is! the rain now rattles on the roof no more as it once did! I heard it once with buoyant heart, but now it gives a home-sick smart, I coúld weep if I would.
¶ 5.		5.
Des schpiilǝ geet net, sǝl ich fart? was iss uf selli balkǝ dart? 'nau' bin ich widdǝr buu! dart hen m'r keschtǝ ausgeschtreit, tsu dærrǝ uf dii Krischdaak tseit— deet 's gleichǝ widdǝr duu!		The play succeeds not, shall I forth? what is upon that timber there? 'now' I'm a boy again! there did we spread the chestnuts out to have them dry for Christmas time— would 'like' to do t again!
¶ 6.		6.
.ǝn biiwli sei˛—sell iss d'r wært— dii keschtǝ 'rooschtǝ' uf d'r hært— was hǝt des als gekracht! Sell iss forbei. Ich fiil 's im gmiid,[67] es schpiilt 'n rechtǝs heemwee liid, d'r reeghǝ uf 'm dach!		To be a boy—that is worth while— to 'roast' the chestnuts on the hearth— what crackling that produced! t'is gone—I feel that in my soul it plays a real home-sick tune— the rain upon the roof!
¶ 7.		7.
Dort schteet dii 'seem' alt walnus kischt, ich wunnǝr 'nau' was dart drin isch? 's muss eppǝs 'bartich sei˛. Kallénǝr, tseitung, bichǝr—hoo! dii alti sachǝ hen sii doo all sunnǝrscht-sewǝrscht[68] nei˛.		There stands the 'same' old walnut chest I wonder 'now' what may be in 't, it must be something (abartig) rare. Calendars—newspapers—books—oh the olden objects have we here all upside down within.
¶ 8.		8.
'Nau' bin ich aawǝr recht ǝn buu, weil ich do widdǝr seenǝ duu des alt bekanntǝ sach. Harrich! hæærscht d'r reeghǝ! 'Jes indiid'— er schpiilt ǝn rechtǝs heemwee liid dart oowǝ uf 'm dach!		But 'now' I truly am a boy because I now again behold this old familiar thing. Hark! Hearst the rain! 'Yes, yes indeed,' it plays a proper home-sick air up there upon the roof!
¶ 13.		13.
Sii henkǝ net am balkǝ mee dii bindlǝ fun dem kreitǝr tee, un allǝrlee gewærts; 'nau' will ich widdǝr biiwli sei˛— ich hool sii f'r dii mammi rei˛— sell 'pliist' mei, biiwli hærts.[69]		They hang not on the cross-beams more the bundles of botanic tea, and every kind of root; 'now' I will be a boy again and for my mother bring them in— that 'pleased' my boyish heart.
—Harbaugh.

Will widd'r Biiwǝli[66] sei˛.		Will be a Boy again.
¶ 1.		1.
.ǝs reeghǝrt heit, mr kann net naus un s iss so 'loonsǝm' doo im haus; mr wees net wii mr fiilt. ich will mool duu, als wæær ich klee˛ un uf d'r éwǝrscht schpeichǝr gee˛ dart hab ich uftmools kschpiilt.		It rains to-day, one cannot out, and t'is so 'lonesome' in the house; one knows not how one feels, I will once do as were I small and in the highest garret go— there have I ofttimes played.
¶ 2.		2.
.ǝn biiwli bin ich widdǝr jets, wu sin mei˛ krutsǝ un mei˛ klets? 'nau' wært n haus gebaut! ǝs schpiilt sich doch net guut alée˛— ich bin joo doch kee˛ biiwli mee! was kluppt mei, hærts so laut!		An urchin am I now again, where are my corn-cobs and my blocks? 'now' will a house be built! one plays indeed not well alone— I am in fact no urchin more! my heart how loud it beats!
¶ 3.		3.
Harrich! was 'n wunnǝrbaarǝ sach! d'r reeghǝ rapplt uf 'm dach gaar nimmi wii ær hǝt! ich hab 's als kæært mit leichtǝm hærts, nau gepts m'r arik heemwee schmærts, kennt heilǝ wan ich wǝt.		And hark! how wonderful it is! the rain now rattles on the roof no more as it once did! I heard it once with buoyant heart, but now it gives a home-sick smart, I coúld weep if I would.
¶ 5.		5.
Des schpiilǝ geet net, sǝl ich fart? was iss uf selli balkǝ dart? 'nau' bin ich widdǝr buu! dart hen m'r keschtǝ ausgeschtreit, tsu dærrǝ uf dii Krischdaak tseit— deet 's gleichǝ widdǝr duu!		The play succeeds not, shall I forth? what is upon that timber there? 'now' I'm a boy again! there did we spread the chestnuts out to have them dry for Christmas time— would 'like' to do t again!
¶ 6.		6.
.ǝn biiwli sei˛—sell iss d'r wært— dii keschtǝ 'rooschtǝ' uf d'r hært— was hǝt des als gekracht! Sell iss forbei. Ich fiil 's im gmiid,[67] es schpiilt 'n rechtǝs heemwee liid, d'r reeghǝ uf 'm dach!		To be a boy—that is worth while— to 'roast' the chestnuts on the hearth— what crackling that produced! t'is gone—I feel that in my soul it plays a real home-sick tune— the rain upon the roof!
¶ 7.		7.
Dort schteet dii 'seem' alt walnus kischt, ich wunnǝr 'nau' was dart drin isch? 's muss eppǝs 'bartich sei˛. Kallénǝr, tseitung, bichǝr—hoo! dii alti sachǝ hen sii doo all sunnǝrscht-sewǝrscht[68] nei˛.		There stands the 'same' old walnut chest I wonder 'now' what may be in 't, it must be something (abartig) rare. Calendars—newspapers—books—oh the olden objects have we here all upside down within.
¶ 8.		8.
'Nau' bin ich aawǝr recht ǝn buu, weil ich do widdǝr seenǝ duu des alt bekanntǝ sach. Harrich! hæærscht d'r reeghǝ! 'Jes indiid'— er schpiilt ǝn rechtǝs heemwee liid dart oowǝ uf 'm dach!		But 'now' I truly am a boy because I now again behold this old familiar thing. Hark! Hearst the rain! 'Yes, yes indeed,' it plays a proper home-sick air up there upon the roof!
¶ 13.		13.
Sii henkǝ net am balkǝ mee dii bindlǝ fun dem kreitǝr tee, un allǝrlee gewærts; 'nau' will ich widdǝr biiwli sei˛— ich hool sii f'r dii mammi rei˛— sell 'pliist' mei, biiwli hærts.[69]		They hang not on the cross-beams more the bundles of botanic tea, and every kind of root; 'now' I will be a boy again and for my mother bring them in— that 'pleased' my boyish heart.
—Harbaugh.

§ 4. Anglicised German.

The following factitious example, full of English words and idioms, is from a New York German newspaper, and purports to be written by a German resident in America. The spelling recalls the name Heyfleyer over a stall in the stables of the King of Wurtemberg. The writer of the letter spells his name in three ways, instead of 'Schweineberger,' as given in the tale.