2006-12-19 09:01:12 · 4 answers · asked by WILLIAM E. M 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The Pennsylvania Dutch (perhaps more strictly Pennsylvania Deitsch or Pennsylvanian German) are the descendants of German speaking immigrants who came to Pennsylvania prior to 1800. Pennsylvania Dutch were historically speakers of the Pennsylvania German language. They are a people of various religious affiliations, most of whom are Lutheran or Reformed, but many are also of Anabaptist origins. They live primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania (but sometimes in adjacent states like Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina), with cultural traditions dating back to the German immigrations to America in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Despite the name, the people are not from the Netherlands, but rather are from various parts of southwest Germany, Alsace and Switzerland. The word "Dutch" here is left over from an archaic sense of the English word, which once referred to all people speaking a West Germanic language on the European mainland.
2006-12-19 09:11:17 · answer #1 · answered by barrych209 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pennsylvania Dutch (or Amish in other areas, as well) is referred to as "Dutch" because it comes from the English version of "Duetch" which does mean German.
2006-12-19 17:18:51 · answer #2 · answered by pardubice73 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about the Dutch part but the Amish are actually Swiss. Then again I'm assuming that the Pennsyvania Dutch are Amish. The Amish have an official website believe it or not. They claim that they want to world to know what they are about.
2006-12-19 17:11:29 · answer #3 · answered by Igor Jivatofski 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The answer is very simple. The German word for "German" is Deutsch, which Americans mispronounced as "Dutch".
2006-12-19 18:21:30 · answer #4 · answered by Taivo 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋