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AUGH! From German to English
AUGH! It’s not just a cry of distress, it’s an anglicization. Why do we see lots of names ending in -augh? Baugh, Grumbaugh, Brumbaugh?
Stefan Israel
Jan 29, 20202 min read
1,153 views
German Dialects, Names & More
German has developed a lot of dialects. How different are they? Platt and Schwyzerdütsch differ from the standard High German the most.
Stefan Israel
Jan 10, 20203 min read
989 views
1960 Christmas Card Mystery
Why were there piles of Christmas cards from 1960 sent from around the world to a young girl in Virginia?
Pamela Israel
Dec 12, 20193 min read
241 views
Ancestors in the Internet
A Google search finds a family letter in an overseas archive showing Alois in San Francisco and corresponding with a well-known anarchist.
Stefan Israel
Nov 6, 20197 min read
151 views
German in English I
Gesundheit! Bless you? In the American melting pot, you hear bits of the various ingredients still in the mix. Here are a few examples of Ge
Stefan Israel
Oct 7, 20192 min read
246 views
Washing & Sewing: A Diary & Tins
Sewing, in addition to laundry, used to be a responsibility that almost every woman had. And yet it can be tough to get insights into this p
Pamela Israel
Sep 19, 20193 min read
83 views
From Genf to Geneva and other Translations
When learning about ancestors who immigrated to the US decades or centuries ago, you get a double challenge. Not only is there the translati
Pamela Israel
Feb 11, 20192 min read
787 views
Joyous German Visit Home: 1925
Eliese Trede, my mother's grandmother, immigrated in 1908, leaving her loving parents on a journey across the Atlantic. This is her 1925
Pamela Israel
Jan 22, 20191 min read
41 views
Beloved Son, Hurry! 1843 Letter
1843 letter in old German handwriting from my 3x great grandfather, to his son telling him to hurry from the army before his mother dies.
Pamela Israel
Jan 21, 20192 min read
85 views
Why burg, why berg?
Berg vs. Burg
These two words show up abundantly in family and place names across the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Dutch, Englis
Stefan Israel
Nov 12, 20184 min read
21,429 views
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
Pamela Israel
Oct 23, 20182 min read
5,635 views
When is October in September?
Beer lovers and German fans can likely answer this riddle in a second. We are talking about Oktoberfest! September brings a nip in the...
Pamela Israel
Sep 10, 20181 min read
65 views
Civil War Diary Translation?
I feel so very lucky that my family has saved and cared for both family photos and also diaries, letters and other family pieces. Reading...
Pamela Israel
Jun 2, 20182 min read
317 views
the FEMININE of FAMILY NAMES
The history behind some of those last names - many had a feminine meaning. In some languages, the end of names still changes!
Stefan Israel
Mar 14, 20184 min read
1,891 views
What’s with the -ch- in German?
German has two variants for ch, depending on whether the surrounding letters are ‘bright’ or ‘dark’. If you say “ee, ey” versus “o, oo, a
Stefan Israel
Jan 18, 20182 min read
734 views
Ticket to a Year of Happiness
One of the fun things about digging through old family papers is discovering the whimsical pieces that someone has tucked away. Here's
Pamela Israel
Dec 30, 20172 min read
97 views
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) & More!
Houses are adorned with festive lights, decorations and trees. We've some German translations to get you even more in the holiday spirit
Pamela Israel
Dec 16, 20171 min read
102 views
The Curious History of the German 'Doubled S' - ß
Ä, Ö and Ü are simple variations of familiar letters, but the fourth letter that German has that we don’t is the real kicker: ß Eszett
Stefan Israel
Nov 15, 20172 min read
6,009 views
Black Cat (schwarze Katze) Boo!
German words inspired by US Halloween
Pamela Israel
Oct 31, 20171 min read
275 views
Where is that in English?
When it comes to place names, getting from English to German and vice-versa can be challenging, but it's also loads of fun, and useful,...
Pamela Israel
Oct 10, 20172 min read
111 views
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