Chapter IX · English Influenced by German.

§ 1. German Words introduced.

If the Germans of Pennsylvania adopted many words from English, the English speaking population applied the appellation of German or Dutch to unfamiliar varieties of objects, such as a Dutch cheese, a German lock; or they adopted the original names, as in calling a form of curds smearcase (G. schmierkäse) in the markets and prices current. German forms of food have furnished the vicinal English with sourcrout, mush, shtreisslers, bretsels, fawstnachts,[70] tseegercase, knep (G. Knöpfe, the k usually pronounced), bower-knep, noodles; and in some of the interior markets, endive must be asked for under the name of 'æntiifi,' even when speaking English. Dutch gives crullers, but stoop (of a house) is hardly known. In English conversation one may hear expressions like "He belongs to the freindschaft" (he is a kinsman or relation); "It makes me greisslich to see an animal killed" (makes me shudder and revolt with disgust—turns my stomach). A strong word without an English equivalent.

The German idiom of using einmal (once) as an expletive, is common, as in "Bring me a chair once," and when a person whose vernacular is English says, "I am through another" (I am confused), he is using a translation of the German durch einander, PG. 'dárich ǝnánnǝr.' Of such introduced words, the following deserve mention.

Metsel-soup, originally pudding broth, the butcher's perquisite, but subsequently applied to a gratuity from the animals he has slaughtered.

Shinner, G. schinder (a knacker,[71]) an objurgatory epithet applied by butchers to farmers who compete with them in the market.

Speck, the flitch of salt bacon, particularly when boiled with sourcrout, hence, 'speck and sourcrout.'

Tsitterly, calf's-foot jelly.

Hartley, a hurdle for drying fruit.

Snits, a snit (G. schnitz, a cut), a longitudinal section of fruit, particularly apples, and when dried for the kitchen. The term is in use in districts where German is unknown.[72]

Hootsle, PG. hutsl, G. hotzel, a dried fruit; Bavar. and Suab. hutzel, a dried pear. In Pennsylvania, a peach dried without removing the stone.

Dumb (G. dumm) is much used for stupid.

Fockle (G. fackel), a fisherman's torch.

Mother (PG. from G. mutter-weh, not parturition, but) a hysterical rising in the throat. The word occurs in old and provincial English.[73]

Chipmunk, a ground-squirrel (Tamias); chip probably from its cry, and Swiss munk, a marmot.

Spook (G. Spuk), a spectre; and the verb, as—"It spooks there," "The grave-yard spooks."

Crĭstkintly (PG. Krischtkintli, G. Chrĭst Kindlein), the Christ Child who is supposed to load the chrĭstmas trees and bring presents at Christmas. Perverted in the Philadelphia newspapers to Kriss Kringle, Kriss Kingle, and Kriss Kinkle.

Christmas-tree, a well-known word for a well-known and much used object, but absent from the American dictionaries.

Bellsnickle, PG. beltsnikkl (G. Pelz a pelt, skin with hair, as a bear-skin, here used as a disguise, and perhaps associated with peltzen, to pelt,) and Nickel, Nix, in the sense of a demon. (Suab. Pelzmärte, as if based on Martin). A masked and hideously disguised person, who goes from house to house on christmas eve, beating (or pretending to beat) the children and servants, and throwing down nuts and cakes before leaving. A noisy party accompanies him, often with a bell, which has influenced the English name.

These, I suppose, were Christmas mummers, though I heard them called "Bell-schnickel."—Atlantic Monthly, October, 1869, p. 484.

Gounsh, n. and v.i. As to seesaw implies reciprocal motion, so to gounsh is to move up and down, as upon the free end of an elastic board. PG. 'Kumm, mr wellǝ gaunschǝ.' (Come, let us gounsh.) Suab. gautschen; Eng. to jounce.[74]

Hoopsisaw (PG. húppsisaa, also provincial German). A rustic or low dance, and a lively tune adapted to it. Inferior lively music is sometimes called 'hoopsisaw music,' 'a hoopsisaw tune.'[75]

Hoove, v.i. a command to a horse to back, and used by extension as in "The men hooved (demurred) when required to do more work." Used in both senses in the Swiss hüfen, imperative hüf! and Schmeller (Bayr. Wörterb. 2, 160) gives it as Bavarian.

Hussling-, or Hustling-match, PG. hossl-mætsch (with English match), a raffle. From the root of hustle, the game being conducted by shaking coins in a hat and counting the resulting heads.

Sock up, "to make a man sock up," pay a debt, produce his sack or pouch. This is uncertain, because, were a PG. expression to occur like "Du muscht ufsakkǝ" (you must sock up), it might be borrowed from English.

Boof, peach brandy. In Westerwaldish, buff is water-cider,—cider made by wetting the pomace and pressing it a second time.

Sots, n. sing. G. satz, home-made 'yeast' as distinguished from 'brewer's-yeast.'

Sandman, "The sandman is coming,"—said when children get sleepy about bedtime and indicate it by rubbing the eyes. Used thus in Westerwald and Suabia.[76] Children are warned against touching dirt by the exclamation (bæætschi).

Snoot, for snout, a widespread teutonic form.

§ 2. Family Names Modified.

With several concurrent languages, the deterioration of names is an obvious process. Among the mixed population of Baltimore, the name 'Bradley' is to a Frenchman Bras-de-long; for 'Strawberry' (alley) and 'Havre-de-grâce' (in Maryland) the Germans say Strubbel, and Hasel-im-gras; and the Irish make the following changes—

Carron (French) Scarron Schöffeler Scofield

Coquerelle Corcoran van Dendriessche Driscol

de Vries Freezer van Emstede Hampsted

Giessen Gleason Winsiersski Winchester

Grimm Grimes Fayette Street Faith St.

Henning Hannon Alice Ann St. Alexander St.

Rosier Rosetree Happy Alley Apple Alley

A German with a name which could not be appreciated, was called John Waterhouse because he attended a railroad tank—a name which he adopted and placed upon his sign when he subsequently opened a small shop. A German family became ostensibly Irish by preferring the sonant phase of their initial—calling and writing themselves Grady instead of Krady; a name 'Leuter' became Lander; 'Amweg' was tried a while as Amwake and then resumed; and in a family record, the name 'George' is given as Schorts. A postoffice 'Chickis' (Chikiswalungo—place where crayfish burrow) received a letter directed to Schickgets, another Schickens Laenghaester Caunte, and 'Berks County' has been spelled Burgix Caunte.[77]

The following German and Anglicised forms may be compared,—

Albrecht Albright Leitner Lightner

Bachman Baughman Leybach Libough

Becker Freeauf Mayer Moyer

Dock Duck Meyer Mire

Eberhardt Everhart Mosser Musser

Eberle Everly Mosseman Musselman

Eckel Eagle Neumeyer Narmire

Ege[78] Hagy? Noll Null

Ewald Evalt Nüssli Nicely, Nissly

Fehr Fair Oberholtzer Overholser

Frey (free) Fry Pfautz Fouts, Pouts

Früauf Freeauf Pfeiffer Pyfer

Fusz (foot) Foose Reif (ripe) Rife

Geisz (goat) Gise Reisinger Riesinger

Gerber Garber Riehm Ream

Giebel Gibb Roth (red) Roath, Rote

Gräff Graff, -o, -ae Ruth Root

Guth Good, Goot Schellenberger Shallyberger[80]

Haldeman Holderman[79] Schenk Shank

Herberger Harberger Scheuerman Shireman

Hinkel Hinkle Schnebele Snavely

Hofman Hoofman Schneider Snyder, Snider

Huber Hoover Seip Sype, Sipe

Kaufman Coffman Seipel Seiple, Sible

Kaufroth Cuffroot Seitz Sides

Kehler Kaylor Senz Sense

Kochenauer Goughnour Spraul Sprowl

Koick Cowhawk Stambach Stambough

Krauskopf Krosskop Strein Strine

Kreider Crider Valentin Felty

Kreybil Graypeel WeltzhuBer BeltzhooVer[81]

Kühnlein Coonly, -ley Wetter Fetter

Kutz Kutts Wĭld Wilt

So 'Schleyermacher' passed thro Slaremaker to Slaymaker; and by a similar process, farther changes may take place, like Mutsch to Much, Bertsch to Birch, Brein to Brine, Schutt to Shoot or Shut, Rüppel to Ripple, Knade (gnade grace) to Noddy, Buch to Book, Stahr to Star, Fing-er to Fin-ger, Melling-er to Mellin-jer, Stilling-er[82] to Stillin-jer, Cōver to Cŏver, Fuhrman to Foreman, Rohring[83] to Roaring, Gehman to Gayman.

Names are sometimes translated, as in Stoneroad for 'Steinweg,' Carpenter for both 'Schreiner' and 'Zimmermann,' and both Short and Little for 'Kurz' or 'Curtius.'

Part of a name may be anglicised, as in Finkbine, Espenshade, Trautwine—where the first syllable has the German sound. Fentzmaker is probably a condensation of Fenstermacher.

It is remarkable that speakers of German often use English forms of baptismal names, as Mary for Marîa, Henry for Heinrich, and John (tschan, shorter than the medial English sound) for Johannes.[84]

Of curious family names without regard to language, the following may be recorded—premising that proper names are especially subject to be made spurious by the accidents of typography.[85]

Ahl, Awl, Ammon, Annĕ, Barndollar, Baud, Bezoar, Bigging, Blades, Bohrer, Boring, Book, Bracken, Bricker (bridger), Buckwalter, Burkholder and Burchhalter (burg-holder), Byler, Candle, Candour, Care, Case, Channell, Chronister, Condit, Cooher, Cumberbus (Smith's Voyage to Guinea, 1744), Curgus or Circus, Dehoof, Dialogue, Ditto, Dosh, Eave, Eldridge (in part for Hildreth), Erb, Eyde, Eyesore (at Lancaster, Pa.), Fassnacht (G. fastnacht shrovetide), Feather, Ferry (for the Walloon name Ferree[86]); Friday, Fornaux, Furnace, Gans (goose, Gansert, Gensemer, Grossgensly), Gift (poison), Ginder, Gruel, Gutmann (good-man) Hag (hedge), Harmany, Hecter, Hepting, Herd, Heard, Hergelrat (rath counsel), Hinderer, Hock, Holzhauer and Holzhower (woodchopper), Honnafusz (G. hahn a cock), Kash, Kitch, Koffer, Landtart, Lawer, Leis, Letz, Licht, Line, Lipp, Lœb (lion), Lœwr (at St. Louis), Mackrel, Manusmith, Matt, Marrs, Mehl, Mortersteel, Mowrer (G. maur a wall), Napp, Neeper (Niebuhr?), Nohaker, Nophsker, Ochs, Over, Oxworth, Peelman, Penas (in Ohio), Pfund, Popp, Poutch, Quirk, Rathvon (Rodfong, Rautfaung), Road, Rottenstein (in Texas), Rutt, Sangmeister, Scheuerbrand, Schlegelmilch, Schlong (snake), Schœttel, Segar, Seldomridge, Senn, Service (in Indiana), Shaver, Shilling, Shinover, Shock, Shot, Showers, Skats (in Connecticut), Smout, Spoon, Springer, Steer (in Texas), Stern, Stetler, Stormfeltz, Strayer, Stretch, Stridle, Sumption, Surgeon, Swoop (a Suabian), Test, Tise, Tice (Theiss?), Tittles, Towstenberier, Tyzat (at St. Louis), Umble, Venus, Venerich,-rik, Vestal (in Texas), Vinegar('s Ferry, on the Susquehanna), Vogelsang, Wallower, Waltz, Wolfspanier, Wonder, Woolrick (for Wulfrich?), Work, Worst, Yaffe, Yecker, Yeisley, Yordea, Zeh, Zugschwerdt.

Among the following curious, incompatible, or hĭbrid[87] names, titles (except that of 'General') have been mistaken for proper names—Horatio Himmereich, Owen Reich, Caspar Reed, Dennis Loucks, Baltzer Stone, Addison Shelp, Paris Rudisill, Adam Schuh, Erasmus Buckenmeyer, Peter Pence, General Wellington H. Ent, General Don Carlos Buel, Don Alonzo Cushman, Sir Frank Howard, Always Wise (probably for Alŏîs Weiss). In November, 1867, Gilbert Monsieur Marquis de Lafayette Sproul, asked the legislature of Tennessee to cut off all his names but the last two.

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