The long persistence of Pennsylvania German English for nearly
two centuries in an English-speaking territory which was settled
by English, Scotch-Irish and Welsh as early as by Germans , naturally brought about a certain contact between English and
German language that influenced both, the generally spoken English and the specific dialect formation that languages borrowed from
each other.
This paper is an attempt to show in how far this language
contact has caused mutual language borrowings, which were by no means restricted to vocabulary items but also extended to phonological and syntactic features, having as well influential effects on intonational patterns.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Pennsylvania German English
2.1. The beginnings
2.2. Geographical distribution of Pennsylvania German speech areas
2.3. Social Aspects of the Pennsylvania German society
3. Lexical borrowings
3.1. Adlexification
3.2. Relexification
4. Phonological borrowings
4.1. The consonants
4.1.1. Plosives
4.1.2. Fricatives
4.2. Vowels
4.3. Later and earlier borrowings
5. The Pennsylvania German Syntax
5.1. Preservation
5.1.1. The subject-object-verb structure
5.1.2. The finite verb remains in second position
5.2. Converge
5.3. Innovation
6. Intonation
6.1. The rising and falling of the terminal pitch
6.1.1. The rising terminal pitch
6.1.2. The falling terminal pitch
6.2. The rise-rise-fall pattern
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines the long-term linguistic contact between English and the Pennsylvania German dialect, analyzing how this interaction has led to mutual borrowings across multiple linguistic layers. It seeks to document the specific effects of this contact on the sociolinguistic status, vocabulary, phonology, syntax, and intonational patterns of the Pennsylvania German speaking community.
- Sociolinguistic dynamics of sectarian vs. non-sectarian groups
- Mechanisms of lexical borrowing: Adlexification and Relexification
- Phonological interference and the evolution of consonant/vowel systems
- Syntactic stability and innovation in Plain Pennsylvania German
- Intonational contrast and the loss of traditional prosodic patterns
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. The beginnings
“Pennsylvania German is,” maintains A.F. Buffington, “a German dialect … that resembles most closely the dialects spoken in the eastern half of the Rhenish Palatinate.” It was brought to the south-east of Pennsylvania and some other parts of North America by the early German settlers who came for the most part from Middle and South Germany, but also to some extent by those who descended from Würtemberg and Switzerland. The settlers spoke a German dialect which was peculiar to the sections from which they came. Several German dialects were blended over the years and a new dialect called “Pennsylvania German” emerged, still until today predominately prevailed by the Rhenish Palatinate dialects.
The early immigrants, mostly religious sects such as e.g. the Mennonites, the Amish, the Schwenckfelder, and all very similar in their religious belief to the Quakers, came to the “New World” looking for economic, personal and religious freedom leaving a Germany where war prevailed. They first arrived in Philadelphia before the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and then began to move towards the fertile areas of the Appalachian Mountains.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of language contact between German-speaking settlers and English speakers in Pennsylvania.
2. The Pennsylvania German English: Details the historical origins, geographic expansion, and the social bifurcation of the community into sectarian and non-sectarian groups.
3. Lexical borrowings: Explores how the community integrated English vocabulary through the processes of adlexification and relexification to describe new concepts.
4. Phonological borrowings: Analyzes how English phonemes and prosodic features have influenced the Pennsylvania German sound system, including consonants and vowels.
5. The Pennsylvania German Syntax: Investigates the structural preservation of German word order alongside syntactic innovations driven by contact with American English.
6. Intonation: Examines the distinctive pitch patterns of the dialect, such as the rise-rise-fall pattern, and how these are disappearing among younger generations.
7. Conclusion: Assesses the future of the dialect, predicting a gradual decline due to linguistic assimilation and the loss of cultural isolation.
Keywords
Pennsylvania German, Language Contact, Bilingualism, Lexical Borrowing, Adlexification, Relexification, Phonology, Syntax, Intonation, Sectarian, Language Death, Dialectology, Linguistic Assimilation, American English, Plain Pennsylvania German.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The paper explores the linguistic evolution of Pennsylvania German English resulting from two centuries of contact with American English.
Which linguistic areas are analyzed?
The study investigates lexical borrowings, phonological changes, syntactic structures, and specific intonation patterns.
What is the main goal of the work?
The goal is to demonstrate how language contact influences a minority dialect, leading to both preservation of traditional forms and convergence with the dominant language.
What scientific methods are applied?
The author uses sociolinguistic analysis, comparative phonological studies, and descriptive syntactic examination based on existing scholarly research.
What does the main part of the document cover?
It provides detailed breakdowns of vocabulary integration, shifts in consonant and vowel realization, sentence structure rules, and the unique pitch contours of the dialect.
What are the key terms characterizing this work?
Important terms include stable vs. unstable bilingualism, syntactic innovation, adlexification, and terminal pitch.
How do sectarian and non-sectarian groups differ linguistically?
Sectarian groups often maintain a more stable, traditional version of the dialect, whereas non-sectarian groups show a marked shift toward English monolingualism.
Why is the future tense in Plain Pennsylvania German considered an innovation?
The usage of the verb "zelle" (derived from "to count") represents a specific syntactic development that shows influence from English while remaining distinct from conservative Germanic forms.
- Quote paper
- Kirsten Vera van Rhee (Author), 1993, The Pennsylvania German English - the Language of the Pennsylvania Germans, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/178114
