by Linda Byler
Dat—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or to refer to one’s father.
Denke—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning, “Thank you.”
Dichly—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning, “head scarf” or “bandanna.” A dichly is a triangle of cotton fabric, usually a men’s handkerchief cut in half and hemmed, worn by Amish women and girls when they do yard work or anything strenuous.
Do net.—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase for “Do not.”
Do net heila, Mam.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Don’t cry, Mother.”
Doo gehn myeh.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Here we go.”
Doo kannsht. Komm on. Komm. Vidda. Vidda.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “You can do it. Come on. Come. Again. Again.”
Driver—When the Amish need to go somewhere, and it’s too distant to travel by horse and buggy, they may hire someone to drive them in a car or van.
Eck—One corner of the room reserved for the wedding party during the wedding reception.
English—The Amish term for anyone who is not Amish.
Express wagon—Many Amish use express wagons to haul small loads around their farms or to neighboring farms and businesses. Pulled by a long tongue, an express wagon has removable sides and ends made of wooden slats, which steady and hold what it’s carrying. Children also use it for play.
Freue Dich Velt—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase for the song “Joy to the World.”
Grosfeelich—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for “conceited.”
Gut—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for “good.”
Halt aw. Halt aw. Halt um gaduld aw. Gaduld.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Have patience. Have patience. Have patience with me. Patience.”
Himmlisch—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning, “heavenly.”
Himmlischer Vater, Ich danke dich.—A sentence in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Heavenly Father, I thank you.”
Himmlischer Vater im himmel—A phrase in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Heavenly Father in heaven.”
Hymn-Sing—Amish young people of dating age frequently gather in a home on a Sunday evening to sing hymns together. It is primarily a social event, including visiting and eating refreshments.
Ich do, Mam, Ich do.—A sentence in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “I do, Mom, I do.”
In-between Sundays—Old Order Amish have church every other Sunday. This is an old custom that allows ministers to visit other church districts. An “in-between” Sunday is the day that a district does not hold church services.
Kessle-haus—The part of the house that Amish families use as a catch-all for coats, boots, umbrellas, laundry, and even for tasks such as mixing calf starter, warming baby chicks, and canning garden vegetables.
Mam—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or to refer to one’s mother.
Mennonite—Another Anabaptist group which shares common beliefs with the Amish. The differences between the two groups lie in their practices. Mennonites tend to be more open to higher education and to mission activity and less distinctly different from the rest of the world in their dress, transportation, and use of technology.
Mommy—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or to refer to one’s grandmother.
Ordnung—The Amish community’s agreed-upon rules for living, based upon their understanding of the Bible, particularly the New Testament. The Ordnung varies some from community to community, often reflecting the leaders’ preferences and the local traditions and historical practices.
Phone Shanty—Most Old Order Amish do not have telephone landlines in their homes so that incoming calls do not overtake their lives and so that they are not physically connected to the larger world. Many, however, build a small, fully enclosed structure, much like a commercial telephone booth, somewhere outside their house where they can make phone calls and retrieve phone messages.
Schecka hauslin—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase meaning, “snail house.” Snail houses are little bits of pie dough rolled around brown sugar and butter, then popped in a hot oven for a few minutes.
Schpence—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning, “ghost” or “spirit.”
Schtup sell, Mam. Do net.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Stop it, Mother. Don’t.”
Sei brauf—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase meaning, “Be good.”
Shtille Nacht, Heilige Nacht—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase for the song “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
Siss kenn Fashtant –A very common phrase of exclamation in Pennsylvania Dutch—the phrase a woman says as she throws her hands in the air in astonishment. It means, “There is no sense.”
Unfadiened gelt—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase for money that is not earned by working.
Unsayah—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning, “curse” or “un-blessing.”
Vee bisht doo?—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect sentence meaning, “How are you?”
Ya vell. Tzell home gay. Tzell.—A sentence in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect meaning, “Yes, well. I’m going home. I am going.”
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Good Books, Intercourse, PA 17534
Cover design by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
Design by Cliff Snyder
978-1-4532-7586-3
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
C
hapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
The Glossary
Copyright
