Do You Know These 10 PA Dutch Carpentry Words?

Most Amish speak a dialect known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch as their primary language. It’s generally not used as a written tongue, though that doesn’t mean it’s not written, in one form or another, from time to time.

hammer-headAnd so today we have a list of terms for you to guess (or if you know PA Dutch already, this should be pretty easy). Ohio Amishman Mark Curtis has previously shared 25 PA Dutch kitchen terms (Part 1 and Part 2) and a list of 12 similar-sounding PA Dutch words.

Today Mark shares a list of 10 terms which you might hear a carpenter use. These are particularly relevant since carpentry and woodworking are such common professions among the Amish. Any idea what these mean?

10 Pennsylvania German Carpentry-Related Words

  1. nagel
  2. bolguh
  3. spahtta
  4. drote
  5. muottah
  6. schrab
  7. tsangli
  8. vingle aisah
  9. schravvah ziah
  10. weddah boaht

Special thanks to Mark’s father Don for getting these words to us.

Photo credit: raster/flickr

 

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19 Comments

  1. John Schmid

    Schreiner vattah

    1. Nail
    2. ?
    3. Rafter
    4. Wire
    5. Mud?
    6. Screw
    7.pliers
    8. Square
    9. Screw driver
    10. Siding? (Weather board)

  2. Gisa

    2. girder?
    5. screw-nut?

  3. Oliver

    Schreiner vattah

    Some words I can clearly understand from German (Deutsch [doitsch]) dialects
    but some others not
    :
    GERMAN/DEUTSCH ENGLISH
    Schreiner === carpenter
    vattah = Wörter (words)
    1. Nagel ==== nail
    2. possibly not German
    3. Spachtel = scraper, spatuala
    4. Draht ==== wire
    5. Mutter === nut
    6. Schraube = screw
    7. Zange ==== pliers
    8. Winkeleisen = angle iron
    9. Schraubenzieher = screw driver
    10. possibly not German

  4. Osiah Horst

    Pa German words

    #2 refers to joists
    #3 is rafters
    #5 is a nut
    #8 is a square
    #10 is wooden barn boards
    Trust me!

  5. Osiah Horst

    John's answers

    John nailed all the words except for #2 and #5. These are very common words in our area.

  6. Oliver Raendchen

    thank you Horst

    Horst, from my German background here in Berlin (Germany) I tried to understand the words.
    BTW, my father`s name is also Horst, but the name got old-fashioned since 60 years here in Deutschland.

    Vingle Aisah (Winkeleisen) was translated by google as “angle iron”,
    already I wondered a bit if this is correct English.
    Now it shows they have a Latin word for it (square).

    Imagine in automatic google translation
    they do not have
    Mutter=nut

    they only have the one standard variant
    Mutter=mother

    also interesting:
    Wetter=weather (and in ancient meaning is “wind”
    Wind=wind

    Thank you to the list and contributors, it was great fun, and I am keenly following the discussions on all spects of culture on this site.

    Oliver in Deutschland

  7. Oliver Raendchen

    bulgah = BALKEN (in deutsch) ; JOIST

    yes, of course if I would pronounce [balken] in southern German dialects it would come close to what you wrote,
    but your writing representation is just something own.

    VERY INTERESTING ASPECTS OF LINGUISTICS (doitsch or deutsch);
    as I deal with languages on a daily basis (Asian languages)

  8. Some of these words are similar to our Hutterisch ones. Others not so much. Always interesting to compare words between two related languages.

    1. Oliver Raendchen

      Comparison

      Dear Linda,
      in this case it is even a comparison between 3 German dialects
      (I am the representative of the High [modern] German dialect);
      and even English is a Germanic language
      which ist still quite close to Deutsch, but has adopted more Latin words.

  9. Alice Mary

    Beats me! But it’s always interesting to learn. As usual, I wish I could “hear” them, too.

    I’m being a little naughty, but some of them sound as though they could be used to replace some “naughtier” words, such as when you strike your thumb with a hammer! “DROTE!” 😉

    Alice Mary

  10. Marti

    “Vingle aisah” is such a thing:

    http://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-a12081300ux0924-90-Degree-Metric-Square/dp/B009EOPXU0

    What is the correct English name for it?

  11. Marti

    Is the correct English name “L-Square Angle Ruler”?

    http://www.amazon.com/Degree-Length-Stainless-Steel-L-Square/dp/B0087ZRH7Y

    1. Don Curtis

      Vingle Aisah

      Well, I asked my son, Mark, about this. I don’t speak any Pennsylvania Dutch but he is quite fluent. He said that a vingle aisah in English is a carpenter’s square. Translated literally he says it means an angle iron. Aisah is Pennsylvania German for iron. For example he says a horse shoe is a hoof aisah. “Mein gaul hut si aisah schmissa.” My horse threw his shoe.

      1. Oliver Raendchen

        re: Don Curtis

        this small talk is so cute:
        MEIN GAUL HAT SEI EISAA SCHMISSA.
        it is a very
        lovely German dialect
        which also reflects a bit upon mentalities.

        In a search for German culture,
        I am comparing such kind of German dialects in Siebenbuergen (Romania), Austria, Swizzerland, Elsass (France), etc.
        which goes along with habits and approaches expressed therein.

  12. Harriet

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! And remember, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Have a wonderful day!!!

  13. Official Answer Key - 10 PA Dutch Carpentry Terms

    Here are the answers from Mark.

    1. nagel – nail

    2. bolguh – beam

    3. spahtta – rafter

    4. drote – wire

    5. muottah – nut

    6. schrab – screw

    7. tsangli – pliers

    8. vingle aisah – carpenter’s square

    9 schravvah ziah – screwdriver

    10. weddah boaht – siding (weather board)

  14. Alfred A. Stutz

    Tüütsch und dütli...

    hi all,
    here a sample of swissgerman (around te town of Zürich)

    tsangli = zängeli (-li- means littel- diminuativ)
    vingle aisah = winkelise
    schravvah ziah = schruubezier
    schrab = schruube

    “Züritüütsch” isch e sproch wo am änglische ganz nöch chunt. Mir käned zum biispil kei vergangeheit.

    Regards,
    Alfred

  15. Oliver Raendchen

    comparative Deutsch dicalects

    I am very thankful that we now recieve still another diaclet (Swizz Deutsch)
    :
    This was just what I meant,
    but it would just have been better to write successively the variants of the various dialects (including my standard Deutsch) in one single line…

    Even some Anglo-German expressions have been maintained from olden times, whereas others are plain Latin-French borrowings.

    So, this reflects on the ENGLISH language.

  16. Herman Zimmerman

    Lengeschter Kaunti Deitsch

    Eens Mehr’s Wie Eens

    Nagel Negel

    Bolke Bolke

    Schpahr Schpahre

    Droht Drohte

    Mutter Muttre

    Schrab Schrawwe

    Zengli Zenglin

    Winkeleissi Winkeleissin

    Schrawwezieher Schrawweziehre

    Waetterbohrt Waetterbohrte