Rumspringa is a word with roots in Pennsylvania German. It can be translated loosely as “running around.” The Amish rumspringa event usually occurs around the age of sixteen or seventeen and can last until age twenty-one.
For the minority of Amish youth who participate in a rumspringa, it is a time to test their wings and rebel. They might not wear traditional clothing, drive cars, not attend prayer services, and, in extreme cases, drink and use recreational drugs.
Many Amish teenagers choose to be Baptized into the church and continue in the faith and its traditions, bypassing rumspringa. Others experience rumspringa and then get Baptized.
“Mary was not the type of girl who would find rumspringa consistent with her faith and chose to be Baptized instead.”
“Billy and several friends went to New York during their rumspringa and saw skyscrapers and Broadway for the first time.”
“Joey could not wait until his rumspringa experience was over and wanted to return to his carpentry training.”
The word elide is also rare, but it makes sense when you hear the definition. Elide is a verb that means omitting a sound, syllable, phrase, or fact when speaking. Politicians are famous for omitting a topic considered too controversial to get elected; they elide the subject. The word elide has gone out of usage just because of the passage of time. I was popular in the sixteenth century but has taken a back seat to other words.
“During the movie, they elided so much of the story that the whole production failed to make sense.”
“Whenever Joseph told the story of his tragic wreck, he intentionally elided the painful parts.”
“When books are made into movies, the producers must elide much of the story to make it fit within a reasonable time limit.”
Let us combine them in some interesting sentences, which is not that easy.
“During his rumspringa, Jacob frequently elided his Amish upbringing to experience the modern world’s wonders.”
“Anna found herself eliding her strict upbringing during rumspringa, because she was eager to explore life beyond her Amish community.”
“Many young Amish choose to elide their traditions during their rumspringa to better understand the world outside their faith.”
