The Pennsylvania German Language
A short story
Read this story as best you can. The new vocabulary is
presented below, but try to figure out the meanings of the
words before looking at the list. By doing this, you'll
think about the words and hopefully learn them faster.
Es Yaahr hot vier Monet; der Friehling, der Summer, der Haerrebscht, un der Winder. Ich gleich
der Haerrebscht am beschde. In Haerrebscht, falle die Bledder un
ich ess viel im Haerrebscht. Was escht? Ich ess viel brot
mit budder un seifleesch. Sauergraut esse mer zimmlich oft.
Im Harrebscht iss mei Maage immer voll! Hinner mer esse, geh die Kinner naus un schpiele.
Sie spiele Beesballe un Schteckle oftmols.
A number of grammar points were brought up in this story
which we shall look at in this lesson. Firstly, the vocabulary:
Vocabulary
Pennsylvania German |
English |
Pennsylvania German |
English |
| am beschde |
the best |
der Beesballe |
baseball |
| es Blaat, die Bledder |
leaf |
es Brot |
bread |
| der Budder |
butter |
esse |
to eat |
| der Friehling |
Spring |
gleiche |
to like |
| der Haerrebscht |
Autumn |
hinner |
after |
| im (in+der) |
in the (m.) |
immer |
always |
| es Kind, Kinner |
child |
der Maage |
stomach |
| es Monet |
month |
naus*geh |
to go out |
| oftmools |
oftentimes |
schpiele |
to play |
| es Schteckle |
hide-and-go-seek |
es Seifleesch |
pork |
| der Summer |
Summer |
voll |
full |
| der Winder |
Winter |
es Yaahr |
year |
Grammar
After a prepositional phrase, the word order changes. Instead
of noun/pronoun and then verb, the verb comes next. You can see this
in the sentence "Im Haerrebscht, falle die Bledder."
How to congugate weak verbs:
There are weak verbs and strong verbs. Weak verbs follow
a pattern for congugation whereas the forms of a strong
verb must be memorized. In this section, I shall show you how
a weak verb is congugated. Usually, when congugating a verb,
a verb chart is made:
gleiche
Pronoun |
Verb form |
| ich (I) |
gleich |
| du (you sng.) |
gleichscht |
| er, sie, es (he, she, it) |
gleicht |
| mer (we) |
gleiche |
| ihr (you pl.) |
gleicht |
| sie (they) |
gleiche |
A note about verb forms
: There are some variations in the above
pronouns. For du, we also have de or d'. They are like
"ya" in English for 'you'. In questions, it is usually deleted
because in PA. German, we know to whom the question is directed
because of the verb form used. You can see this in the question "was escht?" (this could mean what do you eat or what are you eating)
Es (it) is often abreviated as 's.
Ihr has the most variations. The variations for this pronoun are
regional; in different regions, different pronouns are used.
For example, you may find dihr and nihr. I prefer 'ihr' because
it is the pronoun used in German and no matter with whom you speak,
you cannot go wrong with 'ihr'.
'Am beschde' is used to express 'the best' in Pennsylvania German. As in English,
'am beschde' comes at the end of a sentence.
The sentence structure in PA. German can be varied. In declarative sentences,
the verb ALWAYS goes in the second position. The usual sentence structure is
noun/pronoun, verb, time, manner, place. I know that this may be a bit overwhelming
for a few, so I'll demonstrate it in a sentence.
Ich geh im Haerrebscht mit dem Auto deheem (Literally,
I go in the Autumn with the car to home). With a bit
of practice/reading PA German, this becomes ingrained
into your memory.
For this lesson, practice constructing sentences with these new
grammar rules and combine words from lesson two and this lesson in your
sentences.
Progress to Lesson 3
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