Pennsylvania Laws-German Translation
A chance encounter with an 1801 document from Greene County, Pennsylvania got me thinking about early German records in western Pennsylvania
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Stefan Israel
Nov 3, 20233 min read
Why does German Capitalize everything?
Why does German Capitalize everything? If you look at much German, you start to notice- they use a Lot of Capitalization. Not just for nam
271 views
Pamela Israel
Sep 28, 20232 min read
Reading Old German - Free Tutorials
Whether the printed German Gothic (aka Fraktur) or the old German handwriting (Kurrent or Sütterlin), here are a couple free resources to h
489 views
Pamela Israel
Aug 17, 20233 min read
Tips for Translating German Church Records: Cheat sheet
Deciphering German church records can be tough. A German translation cheat sheet and a few tips should help you along your way.
1,539 views
Stefan Israel
Aug 3, 20232 min read
The Other French Germans
By 1700, one-fifth of Berlin was French-speaking, and they remained French-speaking until siding with the rest of Germany against Napoleon.
91 views
Stefan Israel
Jul 21, 20235 min read
Fiefdom in a Desk
What challenges of reading an older document, such as a 15th century manuscript, and what can its language tell us? Who, when, where & more!
119 views
Pamela Israel
Jun 22, 20233 min read
German Feudal, Fief and Enfeoffment
A 1497 German manuscript stashed in a Boston desk opens a window into German enfeoffments - relationships between feudal lords and vassals.
200 views
Stefan Israel
Jun 8, 20235 min read
Why... do we dot our i's? Minims!
Why do we dot our i's? Minims! Old English and old German writing and printing added the dot to decipher which letter was which. Read on!
176 views
Stefan Israel
May 11, 20231 min read
What's in a name- George?
Translating names can be tricky. Look at the name George, Jurgen, Georgios, Jorge and Yuri - all the same. Here's some history.
387 views
Pamela Israel
Apr 14, 20231 min read
Taxes: English Fleeced to German Plucked
Tax Time: Plucked Chicken - In English we say the tax office fleeces tax payers, Germans say plucked! Translation is fun, isn't it?
55 views
Stefan Israel
Mar 30, 20232 min read
Two Dots and an Umlaut
Unlocking the umlaut. History of the two dots.
449 views
Pamela Israel
Mar 6, 20231 min read
Milestone Favorites: Language, History & Tips
Unlock Your History launched in 2017! Check out some favorite posts about language history & translating old German, Danish, Swedish.
82 views
Stefan Israel
Jun 14, 20214 min read
How to Spot the Dot
What language belongs to those accents? From German to Norwegian Hungarian or French, see different accents that some languages use.
863 views
Stefan Israel
Jan 28, 20214 min read
Why Couldn’t My Ancestor Spell Their Name the Same?
You’re tracing your family back, and the spellings sometimes just go crazy.
648 views
Stefan Israel
Jul 29, 20203 min read
Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire
At various times, there were dozens of imperial cities, from towns of a few thousand people to some of the largest cities.
2,422 views
Stefan Israel
Oct 16, 20193 min read
Low German, High German, Upper German- what is all that?
Are German dialects really more extreme than American dialects?
Are they ever! The Old World dialects in general are far, far more extreme t
8,821 views
Pamela Israel
May 22, 20193 min read
Old German Writing Tips
Here are a couple tricks to help decipher old German handwriting, Kurrent or Suetterlin, especially important with old family letters.
2,163 views
Stefan Israel
May 8, 20193 min read
H- huh? Making Sense of German
German and English both mostly use h the same, as that puff of air at the start of a word:
hello/hallo, here/hier, horn
But what’s that h do
628 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 21, 20192 min read
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.
85 views
Pamela Israel
Oct 23, 20182 min read
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
5,353 views
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