CHAPTER III.

VOCABULARY.

The vocabulary of PG. has but few synonyms, a single word being used where High German has several, as 'plats' (place) for G. _platz_ and _ort_. Of the German words for _horse_ (pferd, ross, gaul, etc.), 'gaul' is universal in speech, _ross_ seems not to be known, and _pferd_ is almost restricted to print.[15] A colt is not called _füllen_ as in German, but 'hutsch,' with a diminutival 'hutschli' (in Suabian _hutschel_, _hutschele_, Westerwald _husz_, Lusatian _huszche_.)

A pig is not _ferkel_ (Lat. porc-ell-us, Welsh porch-ell) but 'seili' (from _sau_), and children call it 'wuts' (Suab. butzel) a repetition of this being used (as well in vicinal English) in calling these animals. 'Kalb' (calf, pl. 'kelwǝr') is named by children 'hamǝli'[16] when a suckling. Cows are called with 'kum see! see! see hamǝli! see!' and when close at hand with 'suk suk suk' (as in for_sook_)--used also in the English of the locality.[17]

Of G. _knabe_ (boy) and _bube_, pl. _buben_, PG. takes the latter as 'buu,' pl. 'buuwǝ;' and of the G. _haupt_ and _kopf_ (head) it prefers the latter as 'kǝp.' Of the verbs _schmeissen_ and _werfen_ (to throw), _kriegen_ and _bekommen_ (to obtain), _hocken_ and _sitzen_ (to sit), _schwetzen_ and _sprechen_ (to talk), _erzählen_ and _sagen_ (to tell), PG. uses 'schmeissǝ,' 'kriighǝ,' 'hǝkǝ,' 'schwetsǝ' and 'saaghǝ' almost exclusively.

The suffix -lein, condensed to-li and -l, is the universal diminutival, as in Swisserland and South Germany--a small house being called 'heissli' and not _häus-chen_, and a girl 'meedl' and not _mädchen_. It is, however, very often associated with the adjective klee˛ (little) G. _klein_, as in PG. 'ǝ klee˛ bichli' (a little book).

German _kartoffeln_ (potatoes) is rejected for G. _grundbirnen_[18] under the form of 'krumpiirǝ,' where 'krum' is accepted by some as _krumm_ (crooked), while some regard the latter part as meaning _pears_, and others as _berries_.

=F'rleícht=, =Fileícht= (perhaps, G. vielleicht) are in use, but the former seems the more common.

=Sauǝrampl=, G. sauerampfer (sorrel, Rumex).

=Rewwǝr=, =Krik=, =Krikli= (Eng. _river_, _creek_) have thrust aside G. _flusz_ and _bach_.

=Laafǝ= (to walk; G. _laufen_ to run, and to walk).

=Schpring-ǝ= (to run, a Swiss usage. G. _springen_, to leap, spring, gush).

=Petsǝ= (to pinch), Alsace pfetsǝ, Swiss pfätzen, Suab. pfetzen.

=Tref= (Suab., a knock, blow). PG. 'ich tref dich' (I strike thee).

=Schmuts= (a hearty kiss). Swiss, Suab., in G. _schmatz_.

=Un'ich= (under), G. unter, occurs in provincial German as unn-ig and unt-ig; hinnig occurs also, PG. 'hinnich,' as in '=hinnich= d'r diir' _behind the door_.

Wii m'r donaus glǝffǝ sin, bin ich hinnich iin nooch glǝffǝ. _As we walked out, I walked behind him._

For 'hinnich,' Alsatian has hing-ǝ, as in 'M'r geen hing-ǝ [nach den] noo dǝ goortǝ noo'--_We go along behind the garden._

=Uumǝt=, =oomǝt=, Austr. omad, Swiss amet, G. das grummet (aftermath). Suab. ämt, emt, ömd, aumad; Bavar. âmad.

=Arik=, =arrig= (much, very), Swiss arig, G. arg (bad, cunning).

PG. Ich hab net gwist [Suab. gwest] dass es so arrik reeghǝrt. _I did not suppose it to be raining so hard._

=Artlich= (tolerably) is the Swiss _artlich_ and _artig_.

=Ewwǝ=, G. adv. ēben (really, even, just), but it is PG. 'eewǝ' when it is the adj. _even_.

Ich hab ewwǝ net gwist for sure eb ær ǝ fraa hǝt ǝdǝr net. (_Rauch._) _I did not even know_ 'for sure' _if he has a wife or not_.

=ámanat=, _adv._ metathesised and adapted from G. _an einem Orte_ (at a place), a dative for an accusative _an einen Ort_ (in a place) as used here. In the example, 'anǝ' is G. _an_ inflected, and _zŭ_ of _zu schícken_ is omitted, as sometimes done in PG.

... wan als ǝ briif kummt f'r ámanat anǝ schikǝ ... (_Rauch._) _When ever a letter comes for to send on_--to be sent on.

=Henkweidǝ= (weeping willow). G. Hängebirke, is hanging birch.

=Tappǝr= (quickly), as in Schpring tappǝr _run quick_! _be in a hurry_--thus used in Westerwald, and as _very_ in Silesia. G. tapfer (brave, bravely), E. dapper.

=Meenǝr= (more), =Meenscht= (most), for G. _mehr_, _meist_, are réferable to _mancher_ and a hypothetic _mannigste_. 'Mee' and 'mee˛' (more), Swiss--"Was wett i meh?" _What would I more._ "Nimme meh," _never more_. PG. 'Was wet ich mee? Nimmi mee.' (See _Ellis_, Early English Pronunciation, p. 663, note 39.)

=Schtrublich=, =schtruwlich=. G. _struppig_ (bristly, rough), Swiss _strublig_, PG. 'schtruwlich' (disordered, uncombed, as hair). English of the locality _stroobly_.

=Neewich=; SG. _nebensich_, Wetterau (upper Hessia) _nêbig_, G. _neben_ (beside).

"Naevvich der mommy ruht er now [Eng. _now_] In sellem Gottes-acker[19] dort, Shraegs[20] fun der Kreutz Creek Kerrich nuf, [hinauf.] Uft denk ich doch an seller ort!"--_Rachel Bahn._

=Hensching=, G. _handschue_ (gloves, Sw. händschen) becomes a new word with 'hen' for _hände_ (hands), the ä umlaut being used to pluralise, but the word is singular also, and, to particularise, a glove proper is 'fing-er hensching' and a mitten 'fauscht-hensching.' This termination is given to 'pærsching' a peach.

=Sidder= (since), Swiss _sider_, _sitter_; Suabian and Silesian _sider_; Scotch, etc., _sithens_.

=Schpel= (a pin), SG. _die spelle_ (a better word than G. stecknadel); Dutch _speld_ (with _d_ educed from _l_); Lat. SPIcuLa.

=Botsǝr= (masc. a tail-less hen), Holstein, _buttars_. Provincial G. _butzig_ (stumpy).

=Mallikǝp= (i.e. thick-headed, a tadpole). Swiss _mollig_, _molli_ (stout, blunt); Suabian _mollig_ (fleshy). Alsatian muurkrǝntl (tadpole) from muur, G. moder, Eng. _mud_. The PG. of western New York has taken the New England word _polliwog_.

=Blech= (tin, a tin cup); dim. 'blechli.' Blechiche Bool (a tin _bowl_, i.e. a _dipper_, a convenient word which seems not to have been introduced). In Pennsylvanian English, a tin cup is _a tin_.

In old English, 'than' represented _than_ and _then_, and PG. has 'dann' for both G. _dann_ (then) and _denn_ (for); and also 'wann' for _wann_ (when) and _wenn_ (if), as in Rachel Bahn's lines--

"Doch guckt 's ah recht huebsch un' Doch gukt 's aa recht hipsch un nice 'neis' Wann all die Baehm sin so foll ice--" Wan al dii beem sin so fǝl eis--

_Yet it looks_ (auch) _also right fair and 'nice'_ WHEN _all the trees are so full of ice._

"Forn bild der reinheit is 's doh, F'r 'n bild dǝr reinheit[1] iss ǝs doo, In fact, mer kenne sehne noh, 'in fækt,' m'r kennǝ seenǝ noo, Dass unser Hertz'[22] so rein muss dass unser hærts so rein[21] muss seih, sei˛, Wann in des Reich mer welle neih." wann in des reich m'r wellǝ nei˛.

_For a picture of purity is it_ (da) _here, 'in fact'_ (wir können sehen darnach) _we can perceive therefrom, that our heart must be as pure_, (wenn in das reich wir wollen hinein) IF _we would enter into the kingdom_.

=Baschtǝ= (to husk maize), from 'bascht,' G. _bast_ (soft inner bark, E. bast), applied in PG. to the husk of Indian corn.--Rachel Bahn (1869) thus uses it--

"Die leut sie hocke 's welshcorn ab, Dii leit sii hackǝ 's welschkarn ap, 'S is 'n rechte guhte crop, 's iss 'n rechte guute 'crap,' (fem.) Un' wann's daer genunk werd sei, un wan 's dærr genunk wært sei˛, Noh bashte sies un' fahres eih." noo baschtǝ sii 's un faarǝ 's ei˛.

_The people they_ (ab-hacken) _chop off_ ('s, das) _the maize_, (es ist) _it is a right good 'crop,' and when_ (es) _it becomes_ (dürr genug) _dry enough, they_ (darnach) _afterwards husk it and_ (fahren) _haul it in_.

=Greisslich= (to be disagreeably affected). SG. grüselig, G. gräszlich (horrible), E. grisly.

=Noo=, =danoo'=, =danoot'=, =nord=, G. darnach (then, subsequently).

=Bendl= (a string), schuubendl (shoe-string). Swiss bändel.

=Schteiper=, n. (Lat. stîpes), a prop, as of timber. G. nautical term _steiper_, a stanchion. =Schteiperǝ=, v.t. to prop; to set a prop.

=Fǝrhúttǝlǝ=, v. intrans. 'Ich bin f'r-huttlt,' (I am confused, perplexed.) 'Ich denk dii bissnǝss iss 'n bissli f'r-huttlt.' (I think the 'business' is a bit mixed up.) G. verhūdeln (to spoil, bungle.)

=Paanhaas=, as if, G. _pfanne-hase_ (pan-hare). Maize flour boiled in the metsel-soup, afterwards fried and seasoned like a _hare_. (Compare Welsh _rabbit_.) The word is used in English, conjointly with _scrapple_.

=Loos= (a sow), as in Swiss and Suabian.

=Laad=, fem. (coffin), toodlaad, toodǝlaad, as in Alsace. G. die lade (chest, box, case). PG. bettlaad, Suab. bettlade, for G. bettgestell (bedstead).

=Schtreel=, m. (a comb), Swiss, Alsatian, Suab. der strähl. But G. striegel, PG. striegel, PG. strigl, is a currycomb.

=Aarsch=, the butt end of an egg, as in Suabian.

=Falsch= (angry), as in Swiss, Bavarian, and Austrian. PG. Sel hǝt mich falsch g'macht. _That made me angry._

=Hoochtsich=, Alsat. hoochtsitt, G. hochzeit (a wedding).

=Heemǝln=, Swiss heimeln (to cause a longing, to cause home feelings).

"Wie hämelt mich do alles a'! Wii heemlt mich doo allǝs aa˛! Ich steh, un denk, un guck; ich schtee, un denk, un gukk; Un was ich schier vergessa hab, un was ich schiir f'rgessǝ hab, Kummt wider z'rück, wie aus seim Grab, kummt widd'r tsrik, wii aus seim graab, Un steht do wie e' Spook!" _Harb._ un schteet doo wii ǝ schpukk!

(G. Wie alles da anheimelt mich) _How all here impresses me with home, I stand, and think, and look; and what I had almost forgotten, comes back again as out of its grave, and stands here like a ghost._

=Drǝp=, pl. =drep= (simpleton, poor soul). "O du armer Tropff!" (Suabian). _Radlof_, 2, 10. "Die arma Drep!"--_Harbaugh._

=Schwalme= (Swiss, for G. schwalbe, a swallow).

=Jaa= (O. Eng. yes), is used in answer to affirmative questions.

=Joo= (O. Eng. yea), is used in answer to negative questions. See Ch. viii. § 1, ¶ 12, and § 3, ¶ 2.

"Sin dii sachǝ dei˛? _Jaa_, sii sin." (Are the things thine? _Yes_, they are.) "Sin dii sachǝ _net_ dei˛? _Joo_, sii sin." (Are the things _not_ thine. _Yea_, they are.) "Bischt du _net_ g'sund? _Joo_, ich bin."[23] (Are you _not_ well? _Yea, I am well._)

=saagt=, G. _sagt_ (he says): =secht=, as if G. sägt, for sagte (he said), as if it were a strong verb.

=Gleich=, to like, be fond of, Eng. to _like_, but perhaps not Eng. See Ch. viii., ¶ 3. PG. ær gleicht 's geld--_he loves money_.

=Glei=, adv. (soon).--ær kummt glei--_he comes_ (will be here) _directly_. Swiss _gly_ and _gleich_ have the same meaning.

=Abartich=, =bartich=, Ch. viii., § 3, ¶ 6 (adj. unusual, strange); (adv. especially). G. _abartig_ degenerate.

"Der duckter sogt eara complaint wær ... conclommereashen im kup, so dos se so unfergleichlich schwitza mus in der nacht, _=abbordich=_ wan se tsu gedeckt is mit em fedder bet."--_Rauch_, Feb. 1, 1870. _The doctor asserts her 'complaint' to be ... 'conglomeration' in the head, so that she must sweat uncommonly in the night,_ PARTICULARLY _when she is covered_ [_tsu_ is accented] _in with the feather bed._

=Biibi=, =piipi=, =biibǝli=; Swiss bibi, bibeli, bidli (a young chicken). Used also to call fowls--the second form in the vicinal English, in which a male fowl is often called a hé-biddy.

The Swiss use in PG. of the genitive form _des_ of the article, instead of the neuter nominative _das_, causes little or no confusion, because this genitive is not required, and its new use prevents confusion between _das_ and _dasz_. Where German uses _des_, as in _Der Gaul des_ (or _meines_) _Nachbars_ (the horse of the, or my, neighbor), PG. uses a dative form--

... dem (or meim for meinem) nochbǝr sei˛ gaul (the neighbor his horse). See the quotation (p. 28) from Schöpf.

PG. inflects most of its verbs regularly, as in 'gedenkt' for G. _gedacht_, from _denken_ (to think). In the following list, the German infinitive, as _backen_ (to bake), is followed by the third person of the present indicative (er) _bäckt_, PG. (ær) 'bakt' (he bakes). The PG. infinitive of _blasen_, _braten_, _fragen_, _rathen_, _dürfen_, _verderben_, is 'bloosǝ, brootǝ, frooghǝ, rootǝ, dærfǝ, f'rdærwǝ.' 'bloosǝ' (to blow) and 'nemmǝ' (to take) occur below, in the extract from Miss Bahn.

G. G. PG.

blasen _blow_, bläst bloost braten _bake_, brät broot brechen _break_, bricht brecht dreschen _thrash_, drischt drescht dürfen _dare_, darf dærf fahren _drive_, fährt faart fallen _fall_, fällt fallt fragen _ask_, frägt frookt essen _eat_, iszt esst fressen _devour_, friszt fresst geben _give_, giebt gept graben _dig_, gräbt graapt helfen _help_, hilft helft laufen _run_, läuft laaft lesen _read_, liest leest lassen _let_, läszt lǝsst messen _measure_, miszt messt nehmen _take_, nimmt nemmt rathen _advise_, räth root saufen _tipple_, säuft sauft schelten _scold_, schilt schelt schlafen _sleep_, schläft schlooft schwellen _swell_, schwillt schwellt sehen _see_, sieht seet stehlen _steal_, stiehlt schteelt tragen _carry_, trägt traagt verderben _spoil_, verdirbt f'rdærpt vergessen _forget_, vergiszt f'rgesst

"Der wind, horch yusht, wie er D'r wint, harich juscht wii ær drum drum bloss'd,... bloost,... Gar nix for ihm fersichert is, Gaar niks f'r iim f'rsichǝrt iss, Er nemmt sei aegner waek ær nemmt sei, eegnǝr week, Dorch ennich rissly geht er neih, darich ennich rissli geet ær nei, Un geht ah nuf die staek." un geet aa 'nuf dii schteek.

_The wind, just listen how it therefore_ (an expletive) _blows, ... quite nothing is secure for_ (on account of) _him, he takes his_ (eigener weg) _own way; through_ (einig, einiges) _any crack he goes_ (hinein) _in, and goes also_ (hinauf) _up the_ (stiege) _stair._

The reader of PG. may be puzzled with 'ma' as used in "ous so ma subject ... mit ma neia Rail Road" (_Rauch_); 'fun mǝ' or 'fun ǝmǝ,' Ger. dative _von einem_, Old High German 'vone einemo;' G. _dem_, Ohg. 'demo;' G. _meinem_, Gothic 'meinamma,' which accounts for the final PG. vowel. Miss Bahn writes it 'mah'--

''S is noch so 'n anre glaener 's iss noch so 'n anre gleenǝr drup, drǝp, Mit so mah grosse dicke kup, mit soo mǝ grossǝ dikkǝ kǝp, Der doh uf English screech-owl dær doo uf eng-lisch 'skriitsch-aul' haest, heest, Der midde drin hut ah sei nesht.' dær middǝ drin hǝt aa sei nescht.

_There is yet such another little fellow, with such a large thick head, this here in English is called 'screech-owl,' the middle therein_ [of the tree] _has also its nest._

Remarking on "grosse dicke kup" in the second line, my reverend friend Ziegler sends me the following declensions of the united article and adjective. The dative is used for the genitive, as will appear in the chapter on Syntax.

Nom., Accus. ǝn ('n) grosser dicker kopp, Dat., Gen. ǝmǝ ('mǝ) grossǝ dickǝ kopp.

_Singular._

Nom. der root wei˛ iss guut. _The red wine is good._ Gen. dem rootǝ wei˛ sei˛ farb is schee˛. Dat. " " " hab ich 's tsu fǝrdankǝ. Acc. dii rootǝ wei˛ hat ær gedrunkǝ.

_Plural._

Nom. dii rootǝ wei˛ sin guut. _The red wines are good._ Gen. dennǝ rootǝ wei˛ iir farb etc. (G. der rothen Weine Farbe ist schön.) Dat. " " " hab ich 's etc. (G. den rothen Weinen.) Acc. dii rootǝ wei˛ hat ær, etc.

FOOTNOTES:

[15] Of words not occurring in print, the Swiss, Bavarian, and Suabian form bruntsen replaces harnen and its synonyms.

[16] Seemingly akin to Swiss _ammeli_, _mammeli_ (a child's sucking-glass), whence _mämmelen_ (to like to drink). G. amme (a wet-nurse), in Bavaria, also a mother.

[17] PG. des kalb sukt (this calf sucks,) G. _saugt_.

[18] This name seems to have been originally applied to the crooked tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke, and _humming-bird_ was probably applied to moths of the genus _Sphinx_ (named from the form of the larva) before the bird bearing this name was known in Europe.

[19] Scarcely legitimate, the PG. word for a grave-yard being kærich-hof.

[20] Diagonally.

[21] By analogy these words should be rei˛ and rei˛heit, but as they are scarcely PG. they are given as High German.

[22] This word is correct without the elisive mark, which perverts the syntax.

[23] The Rev. D. Ziegler.