English words from Pennsylvania German
- hexTo cast a spell on (specifically an evil spell), to bewitch.
- AmishA strict Anabaptist sect living mainly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
- dunkTo submerge briefly in a liquid.
- bubAn alcoholic malt liquor, especially beer.
- BelsnickelA companion of St. Nicholas in some Germanophone regions, with various cultural roles, including rewarding well-behaved children with gifts and punishing ill-behaved children by corporal punishment or by spiriting them away from their homes. Homologous with Krampus in other regions.
- distelfinkA stylized goldfinch in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, representing happiness and good fortune.
- doplicLacking dexterity; not skilled; clumsy.
- doppichClumsy; lacking dexterity; not skilled.
- ferdutztconfused, bewildered.
- ferhoodleTo confuse or puzzle.
- fersommlingAn event where Pennsylvania German language and culture is celebrated.
- grundsowA groundhog, a woodchuck.
- hexafoosA hex sign on Pennsylvanian barns to scare away evil spirits or simply for decoration.
- hexereiA galley with six banks of oars.
- Kris KringleSynonym of secret Santa (“a Christmas tradition where a group of people give anonymous gifts to each other, with each person randomly selected to give a gift to one other person; a person who anonymously gives a present to another in such a gift exchange”).
- ponhawsSynonym of scrapple (“dish of pork scraps”).
- rumspringaA period of adolescence for some members of the Amish that begins around the age of 14–16 and ends when a youth chooses baptism within the Amish church or instead leaves the community.
- smearcaseCottage cheese.
- snallygasterIn American folklore, a dragon-like beast said to inhabit central Maryland and neighbouring regions.
- snollygosterA shrewd person not guided by principles, especially a politician.