PUBLISHED BY THE MOD. LANG. ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

1892.

The Pennsylvania-German Lexicon.

In view of the fact that the Pennsylvania-German speech is rapidly giving place to English, both in the schools
and in the home, and is soon to be traceable only in the Germanisms of English spoken by the Pennsylvania-
German descendant, the undersigned has petitioned the Pennsylvania-German people to coöperate with him in
collecting all the words, phrases, idioms and dialectal variations of the Pennsylvania-German language for the pre-
paration of a Pennsylvania-German Lexicon.

This Lexicon will aspire to the completeness of the Schweizerisches Idiotikon, will trace the origin of Pennsyl-
vania-German words and their relation to kindred German dialects in the Fatherland, and transmit to Pennsylvania-
German descendants the noble speech of their heroic ancestors.

The Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania-German Society at its meeting at Mt. Gretna (July 18, 1892),
gave its sanction to the enterprise in the following resolutions:

1. That an appropriation not exceeding the sum of twenty dollars ($20), be made for the circulation of blanks
prepared for collecting material for the Lexicon.

2. That the Executive Committee constitute itself an Editorial Committee to coöperate with the undersigned
in the preparation of the Lexicon.

The Editorial Committee solicits contributions from all Pennsylvania-Germans and others, who are interested
in the work. The names of all who furnish valuable new material will be published in the Preface of the Lexicon.
It is hoped that members of the Pennsylvania-German Society particularly will contribute such material as may
be characteristic of their localities.

merican Dialect Society and printed on

1. Employ, if possible, the system of orthography adopted by the American Dialect Society and printed on enclosed sheet. If other orthography is used, give table of English equivalents.

2. Give all Pennsylvania-German words you know not found in the Hand-books of Rauch or Horne. (For
these Hand-books address Col. E. H. Rauch, Mauch Chunk, Pa., and Dr. A. R. Horne, Allentown, Pa.)
3. Mark gender (m. f. or n.) of all Pennsylvania-German nouns borrowed from English.

4. Indicate any cases in which Pennsylvania-German and New High German differ in gender.

5. State what dialect prevails in your locality—Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfälzisch), Swiss, Suabian, Bavarian
Saxon, Hessian, Dutch (Holländisch) and give characteristic specimens.

6. Give lists of Pennsylvania-German proverbs, children's rhymes, etc., not found in Horne's Hand-book.
7. Give exact wording of Pennsylvania-German spells used in powwowing and state where they are used.

8. Mention any interesting cases of exchange of English for German, or German for English names of persons
or places, as Carpenter for Zimmerman, etc.

9. Give any instances of Pennsylvania-Germanisms found in the English of your locality.

10. State to what extent the Pennsylvania-German speech is spoken in your locality—in the school, the shop
or the home.

II. Send in any printed matter you may have in the Pennsylvania-German dialect.

12. Add any other valuable matter not called for in the blanks.

The Committee desires, if possible, to have all contributions sent in by January 1, 1893.
Address contributed matter to the undersigned,

By order of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania-German Society.