| There is a lot of talk about making English the official | | | | the window?This whole Amish style of speaking made |
| language of the USA. That would stop the need to | | | | me think about the English language and some of the |
| spend so much money printing out things like drivers | | | | odd ways in which we describe things in different |
| license, tax, voter registration and other official forms in | | | | parts of the USA. Like all Americans born here, I guess |
| so many languages. If people come here, they will | | | | I have been short with those who come to America |
| simply have to learn English. However, is it really that | | | | from somewhere else and have trouble learning our |
| simple? English is anything but a virgin language. It has | | | | language. I mean, how many times should I have to |
| roots in the tongues of many nations and one word | | | | say 'BIG MAC' at McDonalds to actually get one? It's |
| can mean many things. If you travel around our great | | | | frustrating, but imagine how people who come from |
| nation, you will discover some extreme examples of | | | | other places feel when confronted with English?After |
| that fact.Several years ago, I visited Pennsylvania | | | | doing a little research I discovered some reasons that |
| Dutch Country with my family. Most people have read | | | | the English language is confusing to those who speak |
| about the Amish people, but it's something you have to | | | | other tongues. The main problem seems to be that |
| see for yourself to believe. They first came to North | | | | one word simply has too many meanings. Let's take |
| America to escape religious and political persecution in | | | | the word love for example. A child says, "I love you, |
| Holland and the Netherlands. Most live in Pennsylvania, | | | | Mommy," and tends to mean I need you and miss the |
| some in Ohio and Indiana and a few have established | | | | comforting feeling I get when I don't see you. A |
| closed communities in Canada.The religious life of the | | | | baseball fan says, "I love that team!" They mean that |
| Amish tends to dominate all they do. While they | | | | they are a fan of that team. To go further, their |
| appreciate the freedom that America offers them, | | | | commitment to the team may vary. Do they attend |
| they want none of what they consider our vices. Most | | | | every game? Follow their team on the road? Have |
| of the traditional Amish people refuse the use of | | | | box seats? How much do they really "love" that |
| electricity and modern conveniences like telephones, | | | | team?A man says to a woman, "I love you." Does he |
| cars and machine driven farm equipment. The majority | | | | mean for now, for the moment, until someone he |
| are Farmers who use horse drawn carts for their | | | | thinks is better comes along? The old Stephen Stills |
| transportation and horses for plowing, pulling wagons | | | | song, Love The One You're With illustrates one |
| and other heavy work.The most amazing sight you | | | | example of what love can mean to a person. It seems |
| can see in Pennsylvania Dutch Country is an Amish | | | | that the meaning of the word love can be very |
| barn raising. The entire community gets together when | | | | different for a man then it is for a woman.For men |
| someone needs a new barn and builds the bulk of it in | | | | love often means sex. While a man might say "I love |
| just one day! The men construct the barn while the | | | | you" and mean I like the way you look and want to |
| women cook and provide refreshment. I guess that | | | | have sex with you, a women might say "I love you" |
| when it comes to the Amish, it takes a village to raise | | | | and mean that she finds the man attractive in many |
| a barn!Because they consider waging war a sin, the | | | | ways and sex is merely the ultimate expression of all |
| Amish are generally classified as Conscientious | | | | else that she feels. I believe that women, in contrast to |
| Objectors with Selective Service. They have their own | | | | men, can have a greater depth to their feelings for |
| schools and churches and teach that being | | | | another person. Is this because they tend to be more |
| self-sufficient is vital. They do use banks, save a great | | | | emotional to begin with?I have noticed that women |
| deal of the money they earn from farming for the | | | | tend to have friendships and associations that are |
| future, give ten percent of their worth to the church | | | | deeper then those enjoyed by men. While women will |
| and refuse to participate in the Social Security | | | | probably share their most intimate thoughts and |
| program. The Bible says to make no image of any | | | | feelings with a close friend or associate, men will not. |
| thing on the earth or in heaven. You will not see any | | | | They will generally talk about business, sex, politics or |
| religious statues in their churches. They do not use | | | | sports. No wonder people trying to learn English get |
| cameras of any type and the Amish dislike having | | | | confused. It seems that Americans simply cannot say |
| tourists take their picture.Sometimes it is hard for | | | | what they mean, mean what they say or even agree |
| tourists to resist the temptation to photograph these | | | | on what they mean!The Clinton scandals of the 1990s |
| unusual people because they look so quaint. The | | | | illustrated the problem with English. When President |
| Amish dress in what might be described as very plain | | | | Clinton spoke of sex, he meant intercourse between |
| clothing. The men wear dark pants with suspenders, | | | | two people. Others argue that intimate bodily contact |
| light shirts, a wide brimmed hat and a dress coat for | | | | of any kind is also sex. Surveys at the time tended to |
| special affairs or cold weather. Most have beards and | | | | show that most men agreed with the President's |
| stop shaving when they are engaged or marry. The | | | | definition, but didn't support him. Most women did not |
| women wear dresses, no pants, and most will never | | | | agree with the definition, but supported him! Others say |
| cut or trim their hair. None of the Amish wears jeans, | | | | that what the president did with Monica Lewinsky was |
| anything with a design on it or buttons. They use hooks | | | | merely petting. Imagine a first day English student from |
| and eyes on their clothes because of a tradition that | | | | a foreign country listening to a man say, "I love my dog, |
| says their persecutors in Holland wore large buttons on | | | | I pet her everyday." Later the same man says, "I love |
| their coats as a sign of pride. Most wear large dark | | | | my wife. I pet her every chance that I get!"As an |
| colored shoes and none wear sneakers or dressy | | | | experienced Speaker, I have had the opportunity to |
| footwear.The Amish speak their own language that | | | | travel all over the USA and Canada. Whenever |
| has been described by dialectologists as an old form | | | | possible, my wife and children joined me during |
| of Dutch mixed with German and some Old English. It | | | | summer months. It was on these trips that we first |
| is their attempt to speak modern English that really | | | | realized how words that people use could mean very |
| gets your attention! If I were outside our house and | | | | different things depending on where you live in the |
| needed my wife to give me a diaper for the baby I | | | | United States. We all feel the call of nature, for |
| might say, "Honey, throw a diaper out the window. I | | | | example, but not all of us go to the same place. On |
| need one for the baby." However, the Amish would | | | | more then a few occasions, my wife and kids had to |
| say, "Father, please throw the baby out of the window | | | | come and ask me where the facilities were and which |
| a diaper." Yikes! Maybe that's where Michael Jackson | | | | door they should use.In much of the Northeast where I |
| got the idea of dangling his kid out of the window. I | | | | am originally from, we go to the Bathroom. |
| guess we're all lucky that's all he decided to dangle out | | | | |