Books

Ausbund & Lieder Sammlung Songs with Shaped Notes. Sugarcreek, Ohio: Carlisle Press, 2001. 110 pp. $7.50 (paper, spiral). Presents each melody with shape note music notation according to Ohio Amish style, Weisz name, verteilt, and corresponding number in the Ausbund, Liedersammlung, or Gingerich; comparative index lists Ausbund number, Nota Buch number, melody number, Weisz name, Liedersammlung number, and Gingerich number.

Ausbund: Das ist: Etliche schöne Christliche Lieder, Wie sie in dem Gefängnis zu Passau in dem Schlosz von den Schweizer-Brüdern . . . .  43 Bekannte Auflage. Lancaster County, Pa.: Amischen Gemeinden, 2000. 895 pp. $12.00 (cloth). Word edition of hymns written by the Swiss Brethren in prison in the castle of Passau; oldest Protestant hymnal in continuous use since 1563; used by Mennonites until early 1800s and still used by the Amish today.

Beam, C. Richard. Des is wie mer’s saagt in Deitsch (This is how we say it in Pennsylvania Dutch). Lee R. Thierwechter’s Responses to Dr. Ellsworth Kyger’s Word Lists.* 2d ed. Millersville, Pa.: Center for Pennsylvania German Studies, Millersville University, 2002. 204 pp. $15.00 (cloth). Alphabetical listing of over 4,000 dialect words with appropriate Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, dialect settings; biographical sketch of author; pronunciation guide; abbreviation key.

Beam, C. Richard. Revised Pennsylvania German Dictionary: English to Pennsylvania Dutch. Lancaster, Pa.: Brookshire, 1985. 212 pp. $9.95 (paper). Dictionary of the most frequently used words, including some of the variety of dialect terms available for the key word in English; some illustrative sentences, occasional dialect names, bits of folklore; no pronunciation.

Bentz, Edna M. If I Can, You Can Decipher Germanic Records. San Diego, Calif.: Tamara Bentz, 1993. 85 pp. $16.50 (paper, spiral bound). Genealogical aid for reading handwritten German script, including alphabet, umlauts, general information, relationships, terminology and symbols, abbreviations, church year, calendar, illnesses, occupations, and time line.

Busch, Wilhelm, and John Birmelin. Hans un Yarick/Max and Moritz: En Buweg’schicht in siwwe Schtreech/A Story in Seven Tricks. Bilingual ed., Pennsylvania Dutch and English. Edited by Walter Sauer. Kinzers, Pa.: Family Album, 2002. 58 pp. $10.00 (paper). Truly classical children’s book first published in Munich (1865) about the pranks of two rascals; superb Pennsylvania Dutch translation by one of Pennsylvania’s best poets; includes 19^th-century English version that later became the model for The Katzenjammer Kids.

Denlinger, A. Martha. Einfaches Leben nur eine Touristenattraktion? Amische und Mennoniten im Landkreis Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lititz, Pa.: A. Martha Stahl, 2000. 96 pp. $8.00 (paper). Experienced Mennonite tour guide's answers to common questions about the Amish; similarities/differences of Amish and Mennonites—tourism, home/family, dress, religion, special occasions, education, economics, sharing, history, missions; bibliography; index; glossary; illustrations.

Druckenbrod, Richard. Mir Lanne Deitsch: A Guide for Learning the Skills of Reading, Writing, & Speaking Pennsylvania German.*** Allentown, Pa.: Richard Druckenbrod, 1997. 192 pp. $60.00 (loose-leaf notebook accompanied by four cassette tapes). Language background of the mother tongue, linguistic orientation, articles/tenses, pronouns/gender, conversation patterns, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, verbs, etc.; most advanced level of dialect study.

Epp, Reuben. The Spelling of Low German & Plautdietsch. Towards an Official Platdietsch Orthography. Hillsboro, Kans.:  Reader's Press, 1996. 167 pp. $12.95 (paper). Origin, Mennonite and non-Mennonite Plautdietsch, other Mennonite dialects, spelling guidelines, examples of vowels/diphthongs/triphthongs, spelling problems in consonants and clusters, Plautdietsch as written with SASS guidelines; bibliography, index, appendix.

Epp, Reuben. The Story of Low German & Plautdietsch: Tracing a Language Across the Globe. Hillsboro, Kans.: Reader's Press, 1993. 133 pp. $12.95 (paper). Introduction, history of Low German, origins of Netherlandic Mennonites and their language, language of Mennonites in Prussia/Russia/America, status of Low German today; bibliography, index; based on scholarly research; presented in a form accessible to general public.

Die Ernsthafte Christenpflicht, Enthaltend Schöne geistreiche Gebäter, Womit Fromme Christen-Herzen Zu allen Zeiten und in allen Nöthen sich troesten können. Lancaster County, Pa.: Amischen Gemeinden, 1987. 225 pp. $7.50 (cloth). Prayer book for all occasions with confession of faith (18 articles); traditionally used by Mennonites and Amish; still used by Old Order Amish today.

The First Century of German Language Printing in the United States of America [1728-1830]: A Bibliography Based on the Studies of Oswald Seidensticker and Wilbur H. Oda.*** 2 volumes. Edited by Karl John Richard Arndt and Reimer C. Eck. Compiled by Gerd-J. Bötte and Werner Tannhof using a preliminary compilation by Annelies Müller. Göttingen, Germany: Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, 1989. 1245 pp. $100.00 (cloth). Comprehensive bibliographical information; includes locations of known copies of each item; main index of titles, authors, editors, compilers, translators, engravers, composers; indices of printers, publishers, and stereotypers, places of printing and publication, genre terms; black-white illustrations.

Frey, J. William. A Simple Grammar of Pennsylvania Dutch. 3d ed. Lancaster, Pa.: Brookshire, 1985. 140 pp. $7.95 (paper). Introduction on the people and their language plus the language today; popular treatise on the grammatical structure of the dialect including pronunciation, grammar, reading selections, and vocabulary; Lambert's orthography.

Gates, Gary. How to Speak Dutchified English. Wolume 1 (Vun). Intercourse, Pa.: Good Books, 1987. 96 pp. $6.95 (paper). "Inwaluble" introduction to an "enchoyable" accent of the "Inklish lankwitch"; includes glossary, read-aloud section, songs, recipes, and more; for anyone tired of speaking flat, colorless, homogenized English.

Gates, Gary. How To Speak Dutchified English. Wolume 2 (Twoah). Intercourse, Pa.: Good Books, 1998. 92 pp. $6.95. (paper). “Adwanced wersion” of author’s humorous approach to the accent known as DUTCH-ified English is hilarious; includes funny dictionary section (hotchpotch, woecapillary, adwertice, veek, piggle, zunk, keese, crapcakes), readings (De Night Behint Chrissmiss, Ha Do I Luff Dee), songs (Take me Awt; De Panned Plate On; Stant Up, Stant Up, fer Cheeses), recipes (Shooker Cakes, Corn Cop Chelly), etc. Enchoy!

Gibbons, Phebe Earle. Pennsylvania Dutch and Other Essays. New introduction by Don Yoder. Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole, 2001. 448 pp. $16.95 (paper). Detailed, first‑person descriptions of everyday life by Quaker writer; Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish meeting, Swiss exiles, Dunker love‑feast, Ephrata, Moravians, Schwenkfelders, miners of Scranton, Irish farmers, English; appendices—Pennsylvania German dialect, medical superstitions, holidays, plainer sects, weddings, quiltings, singings, etc.; timeless book.

Haag, Earl C. En Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch Yaahr: A Pennsylvania Dutch Year. Vol. 1. Schuylkill Haven, Pa: The Call Newspapers, 1990. 80 pp. $9.95 (paper). Compilation of seasonal and holiday theme newspaper columns written under the name, "Es Neinuhr Schtick," including Pennsylvania German poems, stories--both serious and comical; written in dialect with full English translation.

Haag, Earl C. A Pennsylvania German Reader and Grammar. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1985. 299 pp. $35.00 (paper). Dialect grammar and reader, usually including two parts for each chapter with English translations opposite reading selections, noun purals and verb parts within chapter vocabularies, English loan words, appendix of patterns.

Horst, Isaac R. Separate and Peculiar: Old Order Mennonite Life in Ontario/Bei sich selwer un ungwehnlich Alt Mennischde Weg vun Lewe in Ontario. 2d ed. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001. $14.00 (paper). Explains customs, beliefs, and culture of his people in Ontario—in English and Pennsylvania German—through story of a typical boy—childhood, farm, barn raising, school, church, singings, instruction class, baptism, courtship, marriage, ordination by lot.

Miller, Stephen D. Em Schteffi Miller Sei Waddebuch: Pennsylvania German-English. Edited by C. Richard Beam. Millersville, Pa.: Center for Pennsylvania German Studies, 2001. 78 pp. $10.00 (paper). Listing of Old Order Mennonite and Amish terms not included in regular dialect dictionaries; uses Buffington-Barba-Beam spelling; includes sermon German words never specifically recorded, gender, plurals, definitions, sources; provides contextual sentences or phrases.

Minert, Roger P. Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in Germany. Woods Cross, Utah: GRT, 2001. 182 pp. $26.95 (paper). Systematic instruction for deciphering German handwriting for researchers at all levels of expertise; brief, scholarly review of history of handwriting styles and alphabets in German-speaking regions of Europe; methodology for deciphering German, Latin, and French texts in German, Latin, and French source documents; introduction to modern computerized normed sets of alphabet characters representing the old alphabets; 150 illustrations, including 131 examples taken from vital records; instruction in use of reverse alphabetical indexes.

Es Nei Teshtament: Pennsylvania Deitsh un English with Ich Kann Pennsylvania Deitsh Laysa (A Self-Teaching Primer). South Holland, Ill.: Bible League, 1994. 930 pp. $10.95 (cloth). Adheres as closely as possible to the Textus Receptus Greek text which is closely associated with Luther's (German) and the Authorized (English) versions, used by the Amish, and consists of fluent everyday Pennsylvania Deitsh of Ohio Amish homes; diglot format of dialect and English; phonetic spelling.

Neu vermehrtes geistliches Lust-Gärtlein Frommer Seelen. Das ist: Heilsame Anweisungen und Regeln zu einem gottseligen Leben. Wie auch Schöene Gebete und Gefänge . . . . Lancaster County, Pa.: Amischen Gemeinden, 1993. 263 pp. $7.50 (cloth). Aid in devotional and Christian life, including prayers for all the days of the week, mealtimes, and other occasions; used by Old Order Amish today but traditionally used by Mennonites as well; index.

Poster: Em Herr, sei Gebaydt** [The Lord's Prayer in Pennsylvania German Dialect] 15.25" x 12." Lancaster, Pa.: Art Productions, 1976. $9.00 (paper). Fraktur-decorated rendition of Lord's Prayer as used in some Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches where the service is conducted entirely in the dialect; distelfinks, tulips, flowers, and angel in color on ivory; suitable for framing.

Poster: Em Herr, sei Gebaydt*** [The Lord’s Prayer in Pennsylvania German Dialect]. $50.00. 18" x 15" version of above, mounted on wood, ready to hang.

Poster: Em Herr, sei Gebaydt [The Lord’s Prayer in Pennsylvania German Dialect]. $9.00 (paper). 8.75" x 7" version of above with rounded corners, rigid lamination with English translation.

Poster: Em Herr, sei Gebaydt [The Lord’s Prayer in Pennsylvania German Dialect]. $5.00 (paper). 9" x 7.5" version of above with square corners, unlaminated.

Stine, Eugene S. Pennsylvania German Dictionary: Pennsylvania German-English/English-Pennsylvania German. Birdsboro, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1997. 403 pp. $15.00 (cloth). Descriptive, first-ever, dual-language dialect dictionary; Lehigh-Northampton Co. variant is dominant but book includes significant differences from other area such as Lancaster-York, Schuylkill-Dauphin; integrates Lambert's dictionary; primarily Buffington-Barba spelling; capitalizes nouns; prounication guide; past tenses of verbs; nouns with articles and plurals; documents regional variations in prounication and usage; 21,000+ words.

Thierwechter, Lee R. Pennsylvania German Text-Work Book: Art, Language, Music, Culture. Belleville, Pa.: Lee R. Thierwechter, 2000. 61 pp. $10.00 (spiral). German introduction background, a bit about Yiddish, alphabet, Der Deitsch ABC, Buffington-Barba system of Pennsylvania German sounds, cognates, nouns with gender, nouns and common terms, numbers and their use, translation, days/months/seasons, making conversation, translation, word identification, time, sentences using time, translate a short story, what to say to your Pennsylvania German neighbor, translation, verb conjugation, songs, poems, newspaper columns, devotional items, zodiac, “Gettysburg Address,” proverbs.

Unpartheyisches Gesangbuch, Enthaltend Geistreiche Lieder und Psalmen, Zum allgemeinen Gebrauch des Wahren Gottesdienstes. . . . Lancaster County, Pa.: Amischen Gemeinden, 1988. 582 pp. $10.00 (cloth). First hymnal of Lancaster Conference of Mennonite Church; originally published in 1804; reprinted by Old Order Amish; psalms and hymns for all occasions; indices; primarily words only.

Water Boy Gedichde: The Life and Poetry of Edwin Gehman Weber. Edited by Ruth Ann Weber Hollinger. Myerstown, Pa.: Ruth Ann Weber Hollinger, 1995. 284 pp. $14.95 (cloth).  Poems in Pennsylvania German dialect and English translation on Gehman homestead and childhood days, courtship/marriage/family, Meadow Valley, retirement at Landis Homes, photographs, reflections, on the farm, seasons of the year, poems for family and friends, poems just for so; appendix--game, Gehman family tree.

Wengerd, Elizabeth. Introduction to Pennsylvania German. 2d ed. Edited by C. Richard Beam. Revised by Stephen Miller and Alice Spayd. Lebanon, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Studies Program, HACC, 2002. 62 pp. $12.00 (spiral). Nouns, verbs in the house, people and pronouns, Ess-sach, all around the farm; vocabulary, verb, and translation exercises; illustrated, poetry, stories, review exercises; re-edited to conform to Pennsylvania spelling and pronunciation.

Witter's Deutsch-Englische Schreib- und Lese-Fibel für Amerikanische Freischulen. Reprint edition. Indianapolis, Ind.: Indiana German Heritage Society, 1987. 95 pp. $7.50 (paper). German-English primer and new first German reader for public schools (1881); illustrated with many woodcuts, excellent source for learning German script handwriting; introductory exercises, bilingual readings, 29 lessons, appendix.

Tapes

Beam, C. Richard. Pennsylvania Dutch Language: An Introduction to the Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect. Lancaster, Pa.: Brookshire, 1981. $5.00 (cassette tape).  Provides information about European origins and the American basis of the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect; familiar Pennsylvania Dutch words encountered in the Pennsylvania Dutch community; humorous dialect sayings/jokes; Dutch country souvenir.

Brintzenhoff, Keith & Karlene. Alde, Deitsche Lieder (A Collection of Pa. German Folk Songs). Kutztown, Pa.:  Keith and Karlene Brintzenhoff, n.d. $9.00 (cassette tape). My Father and Mother Are Dutch; If the Jug Has a Hole in It; Sundays, When I Go to Church; At Home on the Old Farm; He Who Wants to Live Good; Spin, Spin; To Lauderbach; Now the Time and Hour is Here; Listen Once to the Angels; etc.

Brintzenhoff, Keith & Karlene. Alde, Deitsche Lieder [Typescript with dialect and translations in English]. $3.00 (paper). See above description.

Ernest Kniss and Daughter, Karen Eddinger, Singing Penna. Deitsch. Cassette with English transcription of songs (26). Bowmansville, Pa.: Allen G. Musser, n.d., $8.50. Mei Fodder Unn Mudder, Socha Tzu Essa, Ich Wott Ich Waerdt En Bauer, D’Haem Uff Die Alt Bauerei, Die Alt Hiltzne Greitz, Inn Emm Gorda, Die Gonz Welt, Die Woch, Sie Kummt Uum Da Barrig, Wei Gross Du Bischt, Hi-Le Hi-Lo, Suundawg’s Wann Ich Inn Die Karich Geh, Harrich Mole Die Engel, Wardt Biss Die Suun Scheint Nellie, Ess Automobile Schtick, Da Daudi Uun Mich,Madelie Witt Du Higherer, Whu Iss Donn Die Mary?, Hadda Tzeida, Ich Uun Du, Good-bye Susanna Good-bye, Schpinn Schpinn Mei Liewe Dochder, Schpringe Net Rum Mit D’Weibsleit, Da Meh Mir Kumma Tzoma, Iss Ahr Nett Wunderbore, Schnitzelbunk.

Gehman, Ernest G. Gedichde un Gschichde: Pennsylvania-German Poems and Stories. Harrisonburg, Va.: Ernest G. Gehman, n.d. $12.00 (cassette tape). Poems (12) and stories (2) with audience response plus survey of Pennsylvania-German dialect and intentions for stories for second tape.

George Lerch Singing Country Gospel in Penna. Dutch and English. Bowmansville, Pa.: Allen G. Musser, n.d. $8.50.  14 songs in Pennsylvania Deitsch--Whisper a Prayer, My Jesus I Love Thee, Holy Holy Holy, When the Roll Is Called, Until Then, Suppertime, God Bless America, Amazing Grace, Meeting Choruses, Circuit Riding Preacher, How Great Thou Art, etc.

The Kutztown Singers, Mae & Willard Allison, Allen G. Musser: Pennsylvawnisch Deitsch Music, Songs, Poetry. Bowmansville, Pa.: Allen G. Musser, n.d. $8.50 (audio tape). Paul Wieand & Kutztown Singers—Mir Schlachta’n Alda Hawna, Oh Fensa Maus, Wah Gut Leewah Will, Der Bella Baum, Hei Lee-Hei Loo, Der Bull Frock, Leawah Wohl (Parting Song), Mer Nemt’s We’s Kumt, Deitsch Schwetze, Wons Ken Gott Gebt, Spheel Freind, Supper Tzeit, Im Gaarde, Der Deitsch A.B.C., Ba’d Dawg.

The Singing Grandmothers in Pennsylfawnisch Deitsch. Bowmansville, Pa.: Allen G. Musser, n.d. $8.50. 25 songs—En Gabet Fer Amerika, We Gross Du Bisht, Im Gorda, Revver Song, En Gebaydt Lied, Die Glay Brau Keirich, Wos En Freind Mere Hen In Yasus, Yasus Ich Labe Tzu Dir, Mei Gott Ess Is Kenn Shtunn So Sees, Namm Da Nama Yasus, Gott Bleib Bei Eich, Hy Lee Hy Lo, Fersammling Lied, Bring Mer Bring Mer, Uff Da Bauerrei, Hiram Yeakel, Tarra-Rarra-Boom-De-Ai, O Fensa Mous, De Ford Machine, Sie Un Uns, Shpeil Freind, Unser Bauer, Wart Biss Die Sun Shined Nellie, Luss Mich Dir Sees Hartz Ruffa, Good-Bye Susanna.

Spayd, Alice Behney. Introduction to the Pennsylvania German Language. Fredericksburg, Pa.: Alice B. Spayd, 2002. $10.00/set. Two double-sided audio tapes designed to accompany Wengerd’s Introduction to Pennsylvania German so that students can hear the dialect version as they study words, sounds, and phrases.

Last updated: 1/03