Curious sayings and humorous expressions in English of the Pennsylvania Dutch

English as a world language

English, with its growing number of varieties, pidgins, and inflections, is now firmly established as a world language. It is currently spoken as a second or foreign language by more speakers than those who call it their first language. There are now more than three non-native English speakers for every native speaker, and the number of non-native English speakers continues to grow daily. “Never before has there been a language that has been spoken by more people as a second than as a first,” said David Crystal, author of the book “English as a Global Language.” In the area where I grew up in south central Pennsylvania, there is an interesting variety of the English language spoken by the “Pennsylvania Dutch”.

A difficult aspect of English speech in south central Pennsylvania’s Dauphin, Lancaster, and York counties, home to a large concentration of Amish, Mennonites, and other “Pennsylvania Dutch” sects, is the manipulation of the grammatical elements of English. . Here are some examples of the ways grammar and word order are handled in everyday Pennsylvania Dutch speech. For “Outlanders,” anyone who isn’t Pennsylvania Dutch, these expressions of everyday speech can range from amusing to surprising. Here’s a look at some of the many aspects of this variety of English.

complicated grammatical forms

“Throw Dad his hat down the stairs.”

Explanation: Throw Dad’s hat down the stairs. (I don’t care how old he is, don’t you dare touch old daddy!)

Go out and tie up the dog and don’t forget to turn off the light.

This expression uses complicated grammar as well as “Germanic” verbalizations. Here the verb “outen” means “to go out”. The adjective and noun are used in the reverse order of other forms of standard English.

“The owner says he will pay me ten dollars a day if he eats me, but only five dollars if he eats me.”

Explanation: No, there is no cannibalism here! The worker will receive ten dollars a day for providing his own food, but five dollars a day if the owner has to provide the worker’s food. (Whoa! Glad we cleared that up!)

“He’s still a pretty good man, isn’t he?”

Explanation: He is a good man (supplier), isn’t he? (an etiquette question form)

Use of specialized vocabulary

The addition of specialized but “local” vocabulary is also done quite frequently, as demonstrated in these examples.

“Should I put candy in a toot?” (A “toot” is a paper bag.)

When talking about the fact that his father or grandfather is sick, a child might say:

“Dad isn’t that good; his food is gone and his face doesn’t look that good either.”

Speaking of his son’s difficulties in school, one parent could be heard expressing the following sentiments: “My son is not stupid. It’s not that he can’t learn, it’s that after he learns it, he forgets.”

If you don’t speak “Pennsylvania Dutch” in one of its many forms, they may say of you, “You don’t look so good. You speak so gracefully as if the body can’t understand you.”

When talking about someone who doesn’t read aloud well, in a meeting or at school, for example, people might say something like, “When he gets up to read he gets lightheaded.”

Or how about this funny little observation on someone else’s speech: “Don’t talk so fast, it comes together too much when I think.”

Pennsylvania Dutch Proverbs

Some interesting Pennsylvania Dutch proverbs include these offerings:

“Kissing wears out, cooking doesn’t”

“No woman can be happy with less than seven to cook”

“A plump wife and a big barn never hurt a man”

“He who has a secret does not dare to tell his wife”

“We have grown old too soon and too late”

key state

In this region of the “Keystone State,” as Pennsylvania is known, the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves and local “foreigners” often call this variety “Ferhoodled English.” Famous for their frugal lifestyle and delicious fresh, natural cuisine, the Amish and other sects contribute to the state’s tourism. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to sample the crafts, food and “peculiar” language of this austere town. It is just another of many varieties of English continually developing as a global language.

“When you come, come out” When you are in the area, approach. See, hear and experience Pennsylvania Dutch and food for yourself.