Amish Shwitzer: An Old Order Contact Language

Keywords

Swiss Amish; Pennsylvania Dutch; Bernese German; linguistics; mixed language

Abstract

There is relatively little linguistic research on the language spoken by the Swiss Amish community of Adams County, IN. The language is remarkable for various reasons. First, it is a kind of a mixed language with closely related parental languages which has so far not been found elsewhere in the languages of the world. Second, it is an example of a complex linguistic inner-Amish separation. While the convergence of Amish Shwitzer towards Pennsylvania Dutch grammar is caused by intense contact between Swiss and Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking Amish, the retention of Bernese German features inherited by the ancestors of the modern-day Swiss Amish prevents the two languages, Amish Shwitzer and Pennsylvania Dutch, from merging. The following article illustrates both claims with empirical data. [Abstract by authors.]