[5] Words in single quotations are Pennsylvania German. The system of spelling is described in the next chapter. High German words are commonly in italics, or marked G.
[CHAPTER II.]
Phonology of Pennsylvania Dutch.
§ 1. Use of the Alphabet.
In his "Key into the Languages of America," London, 1643, Roger Williams says that "the life of all language is pronuntiation"—and in the comparison of dialects it deserves especial attention. To enable the reader the more readily to understand these pages, and to compare the words with literary German, the principles of German orthography will be used as far as they are consistent, but every letter or combination is in every case to be pronounced according to the power here indicated—except in literal quotations, where the originals are followed. A single vowel letter is always to be read short, and when doubled it must have the same sound, but lengthened—but as a single vowel letter is often read long in German, and as short vowels are often indicated by doubling a consonant letter, this absurd mode is sometimes used to prevent mispronunciation through carelessness.[6] The 's' is also sometimes doubled to prevent it from becoming English 'z' with readers who, in careless moods, might rhyme 'as' (as) with has instead of fosse. In a PG. poem of Rachel Bahn, commencing with—
"Wie soothing vocal music is! Wie herrlich un wie schoe!"
most English readers would be likely to rhyme 'is' with phiz instead of hiss, which will be prevented by writing 'iss,' etc.
Although I have visited various counties of the State at distant intervals, the facts given here pertain chiefly to a single locality, so that if it is stated, for example, that 's' with its English sound in 'misery' does not occur, or that 'kǝp' (head) is used to the exclusion of haupt, it is not intended to assert that such a sound as z, or such a word as haupt, have not a local existence. In fact, although they are not recorded here, English z, w, and v, may be common enough. A German confounds met and mat, cheer and jeer, and when he becomes able to pronounce them all, he not unfrequently creates a new difficulty, and for cherry says jărry (rhyming carry), and after he has acquired sounds like English z, w, and v, they might readily slip into his German speech.