Pennsylvania Dutch English

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Pennsylvania Dutch English
Native toUnited States, Canada
RegionPennsylvania; Ohio; Indiana; Ontario; and elsewhere
Latin (English alphabet)
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Map of PA Dutch Region.gif
Counties in "Pennsylvania Dutch Country", one of several regions in which Pennsylvania German and "Pennsylvania Dutch English" have traditionally been spoken.

Pennsylvania Dutch English is a dialect of English that has been influenced by the Pennsylvania German language. It is largely spoken in South Central Pennsylvania, both by people who are monolingual (in English) and bilingual (in Pennsylvania German and English). The dialect has been dying out, as non-Amish younger Pennsylvania Germans tend to speak General American English. Very few non-Amish members of these people can speak the Pennsylvania German language, although most know some words and phrases. The World War II Generation was the last generation in which Pennsylvania Dutch was widely spoken outside the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities.

Features of Pennsylvania German influence[edit]

Pennsylvania Dutch English differs from standard American English in various ways. Some of its hallmark features include the following:

  • Widespread devoicing of obstruents.[further explanation needed]
  • The use of certain vowel variants in specific phonological contexts.[further explanation needed]
  • The use of Pennsylvania German verb and noun stems in word construction.[example needed]
  • Specific intonation patterns for questions.[example needed]
  • Special placement of prepositional phrases in sentences (so that "Throw some hay over the fence for the horse" might be rendered "Throw the horse over the fence some hay").
  • The use of "ain't" and "not" or "say" as question tags.
  • The use of "still" as a habitual verbal marker.[further explanation needed]
  • Use of the word "yet" to mean "still," such as "do you work at the store yet?" to mean "do you still work at the store?"
  • Use of terms such as "doncha know" and "so I do" or "so he does" at the end of declaratory sentences.
  • Use of the word "awhile" at the end of sentences proposing simultaneous actions (e.g. "Go get the tea out of the pantry; I'll start boiling the water awhile.").
  • Omitting "to be" from the passive construction in an infinitive following "needs" or "wants"( e.g. "the car needs cleaned" instead of "the car needs to be cleaned").

Other calques and idioms include:

Pennsylvania Dutch English Standard English Standard German
Make wet? Is it going to rain? Wird es regnen?
Outen the lights. Turn off the lights. Mach das Licht aus.
The candy is all. There is no more candy. Die Süßigkeiten sind alle.
Don't eat yourself full. Don't fill yourself up. Iss dich nicht voll.
There's cake back yet. There is cake to come. Es gibt da noch Kuchen.
It wonders me. It makes me wonder. Das wundert mich.
Hurrieder Faster Schneller
Spritzing Lightly raining nieseln
Rutsching Squirming auf dem Bauch rutschen
Schusslich Clumsy with things usually because of hurrying schusselig
Doplich Clumsy with self Tollpatschig sein.
Yah, well. Whatever, or It makes no difference Ja, wohl.
Wutz Pig (when someone eats a lot) die Wutz
Kutz / kutzing Vomit / vomiting die Kotze / kotzen
Wonnernaus A polite way of saying "None of your business"
Schtriwwelich Uncombed or stringy strubbelig
Brutzing, Grexing Whining/complaining Jammern, Klagen
Wuntz (Once) for a second/real quick Ein Moment / mal
Dippy ecks over easy, soft-boiled eggs Spiegeleier
Mox nix irrelevant Das macht nichts OR Macht nichts.
Nix nootz/Nix nootzie Misbehaving (usually referring to a little kid) Nichtsnutz
Schnickelfritz troublemaker (usually referring to a little kid) Störenfried
All None left/All gone alle / leer
Right like exactly the same as Genau wie

See also[edit]


External links[edit]