Almost Eden Read online

  me (mie) me, myself

  meyahl (Mejahl) girl

  mouse (Mooss) cold, stewed fruit soup

  mumke (Mumtje) woman

  mutta (Mutta) mother

  mein zeit! a High German expression meaning, “Oh my!” or “My gosh!”

  nay (nä) no

  nah yo (na jo) literally, well yes, but its meaning depends on how it’s used

  nich (nijch) not

  nusht (nuscht) nothing

  och vaut (Och waut!) Tut-tut! Exclamation of impatience or mild denial

  ootyeklivft (ütjekleiwft) run away, beat it; literally “has scratched out”

  ootyepoopt (ütjepüpt) tired out, pooped

  piroshki (Perieschtje) baked turnover-like pie with meat or fruit in it

  platz (Plautz) Large, flat cake topped with fruit

  Plautdietsch Low German; literally “flat German”

  plumen mouse (Plümemoos) Cold plum and dried fruit soup, a regular Mennonite Sunday dish

  pudel (Puddel) puddle

  putzendonna (Putzendoona) mischief-maker, joker

  rollkuchen (Rollkuaken) deep-fried dough strips or fritters, commonly served with watermelon; literally, “roll cookies”

  schauntboa (schaundboa) shameful

  scheent (schient) shines

  schentlich (schendlijch) disgraceful, scandalous

  schlap (schlape) to drag

  schindashin hite (schindashen heet) devilish hot

  schmack gout (schmatje goot) tastes good

  schmauntfat (Schmaundfat) cream gravy

  schmocke bayn (schmock Been) nice legs

  schmungestrasse (Schmunjestrasse) lover’s lane

  schnetke conference (Schnettje-Konferenz) a gathering of gossips, literally a “biscuit conference”

  schnigglefritz (Schnidjelfrits) teasing reference, usually to a young boy

  schozzle (Schosel) dolt, dunderhead, someone who acts silly

  schnoddanaze (Schnoddanäs) young know-it-all; literally, “snot-nose”

  schvack (schwack) weak

  summaborscht (Sommaborscht) sorrel and potato soup. Literally “summer soup”

  Taunte (Taunte) aunt

  tubbdook (Tobbdüak) dishrag

  Uy uy uy (Uj uj uj) exclamation; My, my, my!

  varenika (Wrennetje) perogies; dough packets usually filled with cottage cheese

  vaut (waut) what

  vea (wäa) who

  vea es doa (waä es doa?) who is there?

  vite dee (weehte die) mind your own business; literally, “know yourself”

  vooa (woa) where

  voh (woo) how

  vota (Wota) water

  yung (Jung) boy

  Selected phrases:

  Daut deit mie leet. I am sorry

  Dee hucke sitj oppe Uahren. She sit herself on her ears.

  Schwack auss een Tobbdüak. Weak as a dishcloth.

  voh scheent et? (Woo schient et?) How are things? Literally, “How shines it?” A common Mennonite greeting.

  Wota emm Tjalla Betjsen. Water in cellar pants, meaning pants that are too short.

  For the Low German sayings and “upgemixed” English, I have my memories of growing up in a Mennonite community to thank, but even more so I thank the many family and friends who helped jog my memories and added their own to the mix. My mother, especially, suffered through many interruptions to patiently answer one question after another. She went so far as to try and teach me correct Plautdietsch pronunciations, until finally throwing up her hands in disgust and declaring, “That’s the best your tongue will do.” My heartfelt thanks go out to her and my siblings–Iris, Bill, Kathy, and Becky–and to Barb and Aron, Nancy, Susan, Jocelyn, Jeannette, Linda, and Connie. For some thirty years now, these childhood friends have continued to welcome me back on intermittent visits to my hometown. They have shown me a grace that never fails to enrich my appreciation for my roots.

  As well as these personal sources, I’m also indebted to several texts, including Jack Thiessen’s Mennonite Low German Dictionary, Herman Rempel’s Kjenn Jie Noch Plautdietsch?, The Windmill Turning, by Victor Carl Friesen, and Armin Wiebe’s The Salvation of Yasch Siemens, which

  Text copyright © 2006 by Anita Horrocks

  Published in Canada by Tundra Books,

  75 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario M5A 2P9

  Published in the United States by Tundra Books of Northern New York,

  P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, New York 12901

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2005927006

  All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher–or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency–is an infringement of the copyright law.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Horrocks, Anita, 1958-

  Almost Eden / Anita Horrocks.

  eISBN: 978-1-77049-033-8

  I. Mennonites-Juvenile fiction. I. Title.

  PS8565.0686A64 2006 jC813’.6 C2005-902896-3

  We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) and that of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative. We further acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.

  The author gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts.

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