Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect - Nouns
Here some common nouns to help with your vocabulary.  For additional translations, consult the various grammars and dictionaries available.
* Note, by convention, when plurals are formed by changing the ending only, only the ending is shown in the table.


People - family

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Vadder Vedder the father
der Daadi -s the daddy
der Groossdaadi -s the grandfather
der Onkel -s the uncle
der Bruder Brieder the brother
der Suh Seh the son
der Mann Menner the husband
die Mudder Midder the mother
die Mammi -s the mommy
die Groossmammi -s the grandmother
die Ant -s the aunt
die Schweschder -e the sister
die Dochder Dechder the daughter
die Fraa Weiwer the wife
die Familye -
 the family
es Gschwisderkind
the cousin

Eldre the parents

Groosseldre the grandparents

Geschwischder the siblings

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People - other

Singuler Plural English
der Mann Menner the man
der Bu Buwe the boy
der Bo -s the boyfriend
der Tietscher
the teacher (male)
der Verkeefer
the salesclerk
der Dokder
the doctor
der Freind -e the friend
der Nochber -e the neighbor
der Schnickelfritz
the mischievous child
die Paerson
the person
die Rutsch
the child that wiggles around
die Tietschern
the teacher (female)
es Weibsmensch Weibsleit the woman
es Meedel Meed the girl
es Kind Kinner the child
es Bobbel Bobblin the baby

Leit the people

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Clothing

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Hut Hiet the hat
der Rock Reck the jacket
der Gaund Geinder the dress
der Schtock Schteck the skirt
der Schtrump Schtrimp the sock
der Schuh - the shoes
der West - the blouse
es Kiddel
the light coat

Hosse the pants

Gleeder the clothes

Unnergleeder the underwear

Unnerhosse the underpants

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The Body

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Kopp Kepp the head
der Zaah Zeeh the tooth
der Hals Hels the neck
der Bauch Beich the stomach
der Aarm -e the arm
der Finger - the finger
der Fuuss Fiess the foot
der Zehe - the toe
der Gnoche - the bone
der Karreber
the body
die Haar
the hair
die Naas Nees the nose
die Zung -e the tongue
die Lipp -e the lip
die Bruscht Brischt the chest
die Hand Hend the hand
die Haut Heit the skin
es Gsicht -er the face
es Aag Aagge the eye
es Ohr -e the ear
es Maul Meiler the mouth
es Bee
the leg
es Gnie - the knee
es Blut
the blood

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The Farm

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Bauer -e the farmer
der Scheierhof -heef the barnyard
der Gaul Geil the horse
der Gans Gens the goose
der Gees - the goat
der Haahne - the rooster
die Bauerei -e the farm
die Scheier Scheire the barn
die Kuh Kieh the cow
die Sau Sei the pig
es Schof - the sheep
es Hinkel - the chicken
es Hoi
the hay

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Animals/Wildlife

Singular Plural English
der Hund -e the dog
der Haas -e the rabbit
der Voggel Veggel the bird
der Keffer - the bug
der Warm Waerm the worm
die Katz -e the cat
die Fensemaus -meis the chipmunk
die Iem -e the bee
die Iemens -e the ant
die Mick -e the fly
es Gschwall -s the squirrel

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Outside - Man Made

Singuler
 Plural
 English
der Hof Hef the yard
der Weg -e the road
der Schtor -e the store
die Schul
the school
die Noochberschaft -e the neighborhood
die Brick -e the bridge
die Kaer -e the car
es Haus Heiser the house
es Gebei -er the building
es Faahrraad -redder the bicycle


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Outside - Nature

Singular Plural English
der Baam Beem the tree
der Rewwer - the river
der Schnee
the snow
die Blumm -e the flower
die Grick -e the creek
es Graas
the grass
es Umgraut Umgreider
 the weed


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Inside - Fixed

Singular Plural English
der Bodde
the floor
der Keller
the cellar
die Kich -e the kitchen
die Schtubb -e the room
die Baddschtubb -e the bathroom
die Bettschtubb -uwwe the bedroom
die Wand Wend the wall
die Deck -e the ceiling
die Dier -e the door
die Schteeg -e the stairs
die Weschbohl
the washbowl
es Fenschder -e the window
es Dach Decher the roof
es Toilet -s the toilet
es Licht -e the light

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Inside - Loose

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Schtuhl Schtiehl the chair
der Disch -e the table
der Baadezuwwer -ziwwer the bathtub
der Schpiggel -e the mirror
der Debbich
the bedspread
die Uhr -e the clock
es Bild -er the picture
es Hausrot
the furniture
es Soofe
the sofa


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Inside - Kitchen/Food

Singular Plural English
der Kochoffe -effe the cook stove
der Leffel Leffle the spoon
der Haffe Heffe the cooking pot
der Abbel
the apple
der Budder
the butter
der Schunke Schinke the ham
der Kuche - the cookie
der Zucker
the sugar
der Sals
the salt
die Gawwel
the fork
die Millich
the milk
die Beer -e the pear
die Grummbeer -e the potatoe
die Supp
the soup
es Messer -e the knife
es Esse
the meal, food
es Wasser
the water
es Koppche -r
 the cup
es Brot
the bread
es Welschkann
the corn
es Fleesch
the meat
es Kiehfleesch
the beef
es Mariye-Esse
the breakfast
es Middaagesse
the lunch
es Nachtesse
the supper

gemaeschde Grummbeere the mashed potatoes

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Measures

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Acker -
 the acre
der Beck -
 the peck
der Buschel -
 the bushel
der Fuss
the foot
der Zoll -
 the inch
die Beint
the pint
die Gall
the gallon
die Gwaart -
 the quart
es Dutzed -
 the dozen
es Pund -
 the pound
es Yaard
the yard

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Miscellaneous Things

Singular
 Plural
 English
der Ball -e the ball
der Bericht -e the report
der Hutsch -e the mess
der Dreck
the dirt
der Gschpass
the fun
der Schabernack
the prank
der Fatz Fatze the fart
die Arewett
the work
die Freede
the delight
die Welt
the world
die Froog -e the question
es Buch Bicher the book
es Schpielsach -e the toy
es Schtick -e the piece
es Bissli
the little bit
es Watt Wadde the word
es Geld -e the money



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Time

Singular Plural English
der Daag daagge the day
die Nacht Nachde the night

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Time - Days of the week - (all masculine)

Sunndaag
 Sunday
Muundaag
 Monday
Dinschdaag
 Tuesday
Mittwoch
 Wednesday
Dunnerschdaag
 Thursday
Freidaag
 Friday
Samschdaag
 Saturday
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Time - Months (all masculine)

Yenner
 January
Hanning
 February
Maz
 March
Abrill
 April
Moi
 May
Yuni (Tschuun)
 June
Yuli (Tschulei)
 July
Augscht
 August
September
 September
Oktower
 October
Nowember
 November
Disember
 December

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Time - Seasons

es Friehyaahr
 the spring
der Summer
 the summer
es Schpotyaahr
 der autumn
der Winder
 der winter
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Verbs as Nouns

es Backes the baking
es Koches the cooking


Note - any verb can be used as a noun by adding -s to the infinitive.  They are always neuter in gender

Note - verbs can also be used as nouns showing continuous action by using the preposition am.  Example, "He likes running."  "Er gleicht am Renne".  In English, this is called a gerund.

Note - to use a verb to show one (agent) doing the action (example, runner, one who runs), add an -r to the infinitive (example, der Renner).  The article gender would represent the gender of the object.

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Adjectives as Nouns

der Alt
 the old man
der Gross
 the big one
en Alder
 an old man


Note - an adjective can be used by adding appropriate article and ending to an adjective.   As shown above, without a "der word", a gender ending is used.

If an adjective is used as a nouns that follow ebbes or nix, it use -es as the ending. 

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http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/level_forty_two/artist.jhtml
Local Places

Ellentaun
 Allentown
Baerricks Berks
Harrisbarrick Harrisburg
Kaundi county
Lecha
 Lehigh
Lange Schwamm
 Long Swamp
Machedunki
 Mahantongo
Magunschi
 Macungie
Pennsilfaani Pennsylvania
Sakunk Saucon
Unner Mahonay Lower Mahanoy
Yorrick York

I've only included place names found in the older Pennsylvania German books.

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English Loan Words

Loan words are those from English for which a Pennsylvania Dutch word does not exist.  Listen to someone speak Pennsylvania Dutch and you will hear quite a few loan words.  Many things have been created since 1900 or so.  English has been sprinkled into the dialect since its beginnings, so fear not, you're just continuing the tradition.  Whether to render the written words according the Buffington-Barba system or just write them in English is a matter of preference, but I prefer to just use English spelling (es Pietze or es Pizza?).

Note that typically loan words are neuter in gender unless it's obvious.  Plurals usually follow the English convention of adding an -s.  Dutchified nouns also exist where an English word is combined with a Pennsylvania Dutch prefix or modifier.

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