Hiwwe wie Driwwe (in Pennsylvania Dutch, “Over here as over there”) is a newspaper published in Pennsylvania Dutch. They have an extensive set of online lessons and a YouTube channel. [3] X Research source A good phonetic guide is available online at Omniglot, an online language encyclopedia. [4] X Research source The Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect Project has an online guide to grammar and pronunciation. [5] X Research source
J. William Frey’s book A Simple Grammar of Pennsylvania Dutch is considered the standard textbook. J. William Frey was a professor of Pennsylvania German culture and language at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, which maintains an archive of his work. Elizabeth Wengerd’s book Introduction to Pennsylvania German is published by Millersville University, one of the few universities in the country to have resources for Amish studies. [6] X Research source Steve Troyer’s book The Amish Language for the English includes pronunciation rules, vocabulary, and common phrases. Troyer based his book on learning from his Amish parents. His website also includes a “word of the month. ” Lillian Stoltzfus’s book Speaking Amish: A Beginner’s Introduction to Pennsylvania German for Ages 10 to 100 includes lessons on vocabulary, grammar, and phonetics, and includes an audio CD. Stoltzfus was born into an Amish family and grew up speaking the dialect. If you are already familiar with modern German, you will probably understand a great deal of the Pennsylvania Dutch written language because it shares about 85% of its vocabulary and grammar with German. The pronunciation, however, is quite different.
Unlike English, Pennsylvania Dutch uses multiple genders for nouns and changes verbs and adjectives according to number and person. In addition to the Pennsylvania Dutch resources listed above, a good German textbook can help you understand these rules.
Since your primary interactions with Amish speakers may be in shops or restaurants, try starting out with some vocabulary related to those locations, such as: es Esse (the meal), der Kuche (the cookie), Gleeder (clothing), and es Hausrot (the furniture). You’ll also need es Geld (the money) to pay for it all. [7] X Research source Some common verbs include brauche (need), kaaf (buy), denke (think), and wuhne (live). To say “I need,” you would say “Ich brauch. " If you visit an Amish bakery, you may want to ask for Faasnachtkuche (potato doughnuts) or Melassich Riwwelkuche (shoo-fly pie, a pie made with molasses). If you fancy an alcoholic drink, you could ask for die Kefferbrieh (literally, “beetle brew” – but it doesn’t actually contain beetles). If you eat at an Amish restaurant, you may see Lattwaerig offered with es Brot: Lattwaerig is apple butter made from pureed apples, and is delicious spread on brot (bread). The Amish are famous for their bread, especially a type called “Amish Friendship Bread. " Other menu items might include Grumbiere (“ground-bulbs,” aka potatoes), Aerbse (peas), and Temaets (tomatoes).
For example, Ich kaaf en Esse means “I buy a meal,” but Kaaf ich en Esse? means “Can I buy a meal?” Common question words (Froogewadde) incldue: Wie (how/what), Wu (where), Was (what), Wer (who), and Wie viel (how much). [8] X Research source
When introducing yourself, you can say Mei Naame iss ___, and then ask Was iss dei Naame? When introducing others, you can say Sei Naame iss __ (for males) and Ihr Naame iss __ (for females). You can also ask Vie gehts? (How are you?) or Wie bischt du? (How’s it going?) To say you’re doing well, you can say Ich bin gut (I’m doing well) or if things aren’t going so great, you can say Ich bin zimmlich schlecht (I’m not doing so well). You’ll definitely want to learn Tzeit for essah (Time to eat) if you visit an Amish restaurant or bakery. When asking people what they like to eat, use the question Gleichscht du ___? (Do you like __?) If you want to offer a short prayer before eating, you can say Ich saag dank am disch (I offer thanks at the table). Most Amish households pray silently before meals, though. [9] X Research source Ask someone Wie iss es Wedder? if you want to know what the weather is like. You might hear ‘Sis schee (It’s nice outside) or ‘Sis schlecht (It’s nasty outside) in response.
Guut gewetzt iss halwer gemaeht means “Well whetted is half mown,” or “well begun is half done. " This saying means that a good start to something is only half the project. Wu Schmook iss, iss aa Feier means “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” a very common saying in English too. Was mer net weess macht eem net heess means “What you don’t know won’t make you hot” – in other words, what you don’t know won’t hurt you.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect Project includes a variety of short texts in the language, including jokes![11] X Research source The German-Pennsylvanian Association maintains a website and blog that is mostly written in the language. [12] X Research source The Pennsylvania German Society publishes a journal, Der Reggeboge, that includes dialect pieces and columns. [13] X Research source [14] X Research source The “Pennsylvania Dutch Blog” sometimes features pieces written in the dialect. [15] X Research source Pennsylvania native Brad Humble maintains a blog, “Brad Humble’s Amish Country,” on Amish culture and language that includes a cookbook, dictionary, and list of phrases.
The University of Wisconsin at Madison has collected a bunch of audio interviews with Amish speakers, with transcripts provided. Hiwwe wie Driwwe has its own YouTube channel with videos in spoken Pennsylvania Dutch. [16] X Research source
Bakeries and restaurants are very common businesses owned and operated by Amish. In addition to helping you practice your language skills, you’re sure to find some delicious food at these places, as the Amish are famous for their baked goods. Shops featuring Amish handcrafts, such as wood carvings, quilts, and furniture, are also very common in Amish areas. [20] X Research source Sometimes, Amish farms will have signs inviting visitors to take a tour or buy homemade goods. Feel free to stop by if you see a sign, but if you don’t, respect the farmers’ privacy.
Kutztown University maintains a conversation group that schedules its meetings on Meetup. com. [21] X Research source
Kutztown University in Pennsylvania maintains a Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center and museum. They offer events and a library in addition to other resources. [24] X Research source
