Gschwarl
Pennsylvania German
editEtymology
editFrom English squirrel, with adaptation to words on Gsch-. The same word is also mentioned for other South German lects in the United States; whether these appearances are independent borrowings from English or are due to the word spreading through the German lects is hard to determine.
Noun
editGschwarl n
- squirrel
- 2006, Deutsch-Pennsylvanischer Arbeitskreis (eds.), Mit Pennsylvaanisch-Deitsch darich's yaahr: A Pennsylvania German reader for grandparents and grandchildren, Tintenfaß (publ.), page 118.
- Datt driwwe schpringt en groh Gschwarl uff de Fens naus un geht am Eechebaam nuff mit'me Hickerniss im Maul.
- Over there a large squirrel jumps away onto the fence and goes up the oak with a hickory nut in its mouth.
- 2006, Deutsch-Pennsylvanischer Arbeitskreis (eds.), Mit Pennsylvaanisch-Deitsch darich's yaahr: A Pennsylvania German reader for grandparents and grandchildren, Tintenfaß (publ.), page 118.