Palatine German Sample II (Mutterstadt)
This is an excerpt from an interview made in 1956 with a female speaker of Palatine German from the town of Mutterstadt, which is located 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the southwest of Mannheim. The consultant was 17 years old when interviewed in 1956, so she was born in either 1938 or 1939. The digitized interview with this speaker is part of the Zwirner-Korpus (speaker identification number I/1634; recording number ZWG34AW1), which is accessible through the Datenbank für Gesprochenes Deutsch at the Institut für Deutsche Sprache–Mannheim, Germany (dgd.ids-mannheim.de). A complete analysis of Mutterstadt Palatine German is given in: Karch, Dieter. 1973. Gimmeldingen Kr. Neustadt an der Weinstrasse; Mutterstadt Kr. Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Phonai, Bd. 13, Monographien 6. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. A transcription according to the rules of German orthography follows, along with translations into Pennsylvania Dutch and English.
Mutterstadt Palatine German: Un middaags, dann wammer vum Feld heem kumme, un dann misse mer der Mudder helfe koche, de Kadoffel scheele, un’s Gemies butze, un was so gibt im Helfe. Un dann wammer gesse hen, misse mer’s Gschaer schpiele un die Kisch in Ordnung bringe, un dann geht’s widder raus ufs Feld. Un omds misse mer aah widder in de Schdall, un wammer des gschafft hen, un noh hemmer Faieromend.
Pennsylvania Dutch translation: Un middaags, dann wammer vum Feld heem kumme, un dann misse mer der Mudder helfe koche, die Grumbeere scheele, un’s Gemies butze, un was (es) so gebt fer Helfe. Un dann wammer gesse hen, misse mer’s Gschaer butze un die Kich zweg griege, un dann geht’s widder raus ins Feld. Un oweds misse mer aa widder in die Scheier, un wammer des faddich hen, noh hemmer Feierowed.
English translation: And in the afternoon, when we come in from the field, we have to help Mother cook, peel the potatoes, clean the vegetables, and whatever there is to do to help. And then, when we’ve eaten, we have to wash the dishes and straighten up the kitchen, then it’s out into the field again. And in the evening we have to go into the barn again, and when we’re done with that, we’re off.