Show PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH DUTCHA K IB B I IA A Southern Southern German Dialect Stil Still Prevalent in Certain Counties I I Dr De Dc Long in Old Penn In the year ear 1863 a small smal party of Mennonites came across the water and settled In what was soon son after ater and is still sti called caled Germantown Persecution at home and the prospect of oC an undisturbed right to worship God according to o the dictates of their own consciences turned the faces aces of o thousands and tens of at thousands of ot these Germans to America and nerved them for tor the av aw avul ful ul horrors of the long voyage In loathsome and often ships Gradually the country countr beyond Germantown was settled by them The name Dutch in the true meaning of o othe the he word is a applied to these hese pioneer settlers setters or their descend descendants descendants descendants ants since they the came from rom southern Germany ermany along the Rhine and not from Holland Holand Their vernacular is a dialect very similar to that of the lower ower Rhine with wih the addition of o more and more English words from rom year ear to year ear until at the present day those who vho speak the dialect employ a great greatman many man English words word 1 even prefixing the German erman augment to verbs erbs in the pre perfect and past tense as etc I believe belee that hat the same race characteristics the same full ul measure of patriotic devotion the same spirit of o forbearance the thes same ame s me sterling virtues of ot thrift honesty and sobriety the same love of o personal personal political and religious liberty the same respect for or the domestic virtues the same simplicity of character that were observed in the early earl pioneers are present In their descendants today too a While all al this is true and something to be proud of but little can be said In n favor of the perpetuation of o the Pennsylvania German dialect Not Notwithstanding withstanding the extraordinary vitality of the vernacular which has survived the wreck of o centuries it I is gradually but surely disappearing even from rom the Ule rustic ruste communities Neither is this to tobe tobe tobe be regretted Several factors actors are tributary can to the persistence of oC this dialect They Te are area a people quiet and simple In their taste aste as a rule absorbed a in the peace peaceful peaceful peaceful ful avocations of life diffident anti and antimore more nore mor or less les clannish they have not traveled much and have therefore not come much in contact with their neigh neighbors neighbors bors hors of o other languages The early set settlers setters tiers brought brough with them the school schoolmaster schoolmaster schoolmaster master and amI only the German language was taught until a comparatively short time ago Many of the older people although they the understand English and are able to speak It in a way wa read only onty German books and newspapers today Letter Lter writing and the keeping of o books boks and records are done In English Today Toda however no German Is taught except in the higher grades ga es although the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect holds sway In the ordinary talk In the school yard ard the street or wherever men gather The legal business was always transacted In the English language though many man men were unable to read road the deeds to their own properties Even now non occa occasionally occasionally occasionally an Interpreter is required to translate the testimony of a witness In our courts However in a generation or two I venture to predict very little litte of o this dialect will wi be heard How long tong longI it I will wi take until the characteristic ac accent accent cent is lost may be hard to say sy In the country districts the religious services are almost Invariably in the German Grman language while In the towns and VII vil villages vi lages lagos where they have hao evening services the latter are arc conducted in the Eng English lish language as are all al Sunday Su da schools etc literary and political meetings |