Berlin Dictionary

Back in April – on April Fool’s Day, in fact – we spoke to the editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English, which collects the words and phrases unique to the forgotten corners of american speech. In the spirit of that day, we sent our correspondent Sean Hurley to capture some of those words in New Hampshire’s North Country.

We soon found out that someone is collecting real words native to the region. Rachelle Beaudoin is an artist from Berlin who now lives in Peterborough. She wants to maintain the dialect she grew up with, so she’s asking for contributions to a Berlin dictionary. We invited her to tell us about the project, and explain what the heck a tortiere is.

If you have ideas for the dictionary, either in French or English, contributors will be credited and cited. Contact Rachelle Beaudoin with submissions here, or mailed to: Berlin Dictionary, 46 Smyth St., Berlin, NH 03570.

LogJam: Back in Berlin Again

And if you live in Berlin and have stories to tell, the StoryCorps mobile recording booth will be in town from June 3rd through the 27th. Registered participants interview each other for 40 minutes in pairs, so two friends or family members, a parent and child, or a couple. Each conversation is recorded and a copy goes on file at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. NHPR will be running selected samples of recorded conversations as well.

(Photo by Maurice Huang via Flickr/Creative Commons)