Pennsylvania Dutch: A Dialect of South German With an Infusion of English

Pennsylvania Dutch: A Dialect of South German With an Infusion of English

While I was engaged with the third part of my Early English Pronunciation, Prof. Haldeman sent me a reprint of some humorous letters by Rauch, entitled Pennsylvanish Deitsh. De Campain Breefa fum Pit Schwefflebrenner un de Bevvy, si alty, gepublished olly woch in "Father Abraham." Perceiving at once the analogy between this debased German with English intermixture, and Chaucer's debased Anglo-saxon with Norman intermixture, I requested and obtained such further information as enabled me to give an account of this singular modern reproduction of the manner in which our English language itself was built up, and insert it in the introduction to my chapter on Chaucer's pronunciation, Early English Pronunciation, pp. 652-663. But I felt it would be a loss to Philology if this curious living example of a mixture of languages were dismissed with such a cursory notice, and I therefore requested Prof. Haldeman, who by birth and residence, philological and phonetic knowledge, was so well fitted for the task, to draw up a more extended notice, as a paper to be read before the Philological Society of London. Hence arose the following little treatise, of which I, for my own part, can only regret the brevity. But the Philological Society, having recently exhausted most of its resources by undertaking the publication of several extra volumes, was unable to issue another of such length, and hence the present Essay appears independently. Owing to his absence from England and my own connexion with the paper, which I communicated and read to the Philological Society, on 3 June, 1870, Prof. [p. vi] Haldeman requested me to superintend the printing of his essay, and add anything that might occur to me. This will account for a few footnotes signed with my name. The Professor was fortunately able to examine one revise himself, so that, though I am mainly responsible for the press work, I hope that the errors may be very slight. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 48417
Author: Haldeman, Samuel Stehman
Release Date: Mar 5, 2015
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Ellis, Alexander John, 1814-1890