| English as a World Language | | | | demonstrated in these examples. |
| | | | |
| English, with its growing number of | | | | "Shall I put the candy in a toot?" (A "toot" |
| varieties, pidgins and inflections, is now | | | | is a paper bag.) |
| firmly established as a world language. It is | | | | |
| currently spoken as a second or foreign | | | | When talking about that fact that his father |
| language by more speakers than those who call | | | | or grandfather is sick a child might say: |
| it their first language. Now there are more | | | | "Pop ain't so good; his eatin's gone away and |
| than three non-native speakers of English for | | | | he don't look so good in the face, either." |
| every native speaker and the number of | | | | |
| non-native English speakers continues to grow | | | | Speaking about his son's difficulties in |
| on a daily basis. "There's never before been | | | | school a father could be heard to express the |
| a language that's been spoken by more people | | | | following sentiments: "My son ain't dumb. It |
| as a second than a first", said David | | | | ain't that he can't learn, it's just that |
| Crystal, author of the book "English as a | | | | after he learns it, he forgets it." |
| Global Language". In the area where I grew up | | | | |
| in south central Pennsylvania, there is an | | | | If you don't speak "Pennsylvania Dutch" in |
| interesting variety of the English language | | | | one of its multiple forms, they just might |
| spoken by the "Pennsylvania Dutch". | | | | say of you: "You don't make yourself out so |
| | | | good. You talk so fancy like a body can't |
| One difficult aspect of the English speech in | | | | understand you." |
| Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties located | | | | |
| in south central Pennsylvania, where a large | | | | In talking about someone who doesn't read |
| concentration of Amish, Mennonites and other | | | | aloud well, at a meeting or in school for |
| "Pennsylvania Dutch" sects live is the | | | | example, people might say something like: |
| manipulation of the grammar elements of | | | | "When he gets up to read he gets befuddled." |
| English. Here are a few examples of the ways | | | | |
| in which grammar and word order are managed | | | | Or how about this amusing little observation |
| in everyday Pennsylvania Dutch speech. For | | | | of another person's speech: "Don't talk so |
| "Outlanders", anyone who is not Pennsylvania | | | | quick, it runs together too much when I |
| Dutch, these expressions of everyday speech | | | | think." |
| can range from amusing to startling. Here's a | | | | |
| look at just a few of the many aspects of | | | | Pennsylvania Dutch Proverbs |
| this variety of English. | | | | |
| | | | Some interesting Pennsylvania Dutch proverbs |
| Convoluted Grammatical Forms | | | | include these offerings: |
| | | | |
| "Throw Papa down the stairs his hat." | | | | "Kissin' wears out, cooking don't" |
| Explanation: Throw Papa's hat down the stairs | | | | |
| to him. (I don't care how old he is, don't | | | | "No woman can be happy with less than seven |
| you dare touch ole Papa!) | | | | to cook for" |
| | | | |
| "Go out and tie the dog loose and don't | | | | "A plump wife and a big barn never did any |
| forget to outen the light." | | | | man harm" |
| | | | |
| This expression uses convoluted grammar in | | | | "He who has a secret dare not tell it to his |
| addition to "Germanic" verbalizations. Here | | | | wife" |
| the verb "outen" means "to turn out". The | | | | |
| adjective and noun are used in reverse order | | | | "Ve get too soon oldt, und too late schmart" |
| from other forms of Standard English. | | | | |
| | | | The Keystone State |
| "The owner says he'll pay me ten dollars a | | | | |
| day if I eat myself, but just five dollars if | | | | In this region of the "Keystone state" as |
| he eats me." | | | | Pennsylvania is monickered, this variety of |
| | | | is often called "Ferhoodled English" by the |
| Explanation: No, there's no cannibalism here! | | | | Pennsylvania Dutch themselves and by local |
| The worker will get ten dollars a day for | | | | "Outlanders". Famous for their frugal |
| providing his own meals, but five dollars a | | | | lifestyle and natural, delicious farm-fresh |
| day if the owner has to provide the worker's | | | | cooking, the Amish and other sects contribute |
| food. (Whew! I'm glad we cleared that one | | | | to the tourism of the state. Hundreds of |
| up!) | | | | thousands of visitors come to sample the |
| | | | crafts, food and "peculiar" language this |
| "He's a pretty good man yet, ain't not?" | | | | austere people. It is but yet another of the |
| Explanation: He's a pretty good man | | | | many continually developing varieties of |
| (provider), isn't he? (a tag question form) | | | | English as a global language. |
| | | | |
| Use of Specialized Vocabulary | | | | "When you come over - come out" When you're |
| | | | in the area, drop by. See, hear, and |
| Addition of specialized, but "local" | | | | experience the food and the Pennsylvania |
| vocabulary is also quite commonly done as | | | | Dutch for yourself. |