Gschwarl

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From 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

Gschwarl n

1. 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.