Pennsylvania Dutch

Not to be confused with Dutch Americans.
For the language spoken by this group, see Pennsylvania Dutch language.

Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvanisch Deitsche (Pennsylvania German)
The Flag of Pennsylvania
Regions with significant populations
German Pennsylvania
Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, California, Ontario
Languages
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch English
Religion
Lutheran, Reformed, German Reformed, Catholic, Moravian, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, Amish, Schwenkfelder, River Brethren, Yorker Brethren, Judaism, Pow-wow, Jehovah's Witnesses
Related ethnic groups
Palatines, Ohio Rhinelanders, Fancy Dutch, Missouri Rhinelanders, Maryland Palatines

The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsylvania German: Pennsylvanisch Deitsche),[1][2][3] also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania (U.S.), Ontario (Canada) and other regions of the United States and Canada, most predominantly in the US Mid-Atlantic region.[4][5] They largely originate from the Palatinate region of Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While most were from the Palatinate region of Germany, a lesser number were from other German-speaking areas of Germany and Europe, including Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Saxony, and Rhineland in Germany, Switzerland, and the Alsace–Lorraine region of France.[6][7][8]

The Pennsylvania Dutch are either monolingual English speakers or bilingual speakers of both English and the Pennsylvania Dutch language, which is also commonly referred to as Pennsylvania German.[9] Linguistically it consists of a mix of German dialects which have been significantly influenced by English, primarily in terms of vocabulary. Based on dialect features, Pennsylvania Dutch can be classified as a variety of Rhine Franconian, with the Palatine German dialects being most closely related.[10][11]

Geographically, Pennsylvania Dutch are largely found in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Ohio Amish Country. The main division among Pennsylvania Dutch is that between sectarians (those belonging to the Old Order Mennonite, Amish or related groups) and nonsectarians, sometimes colloquially referred to as ″Church Dutch″ or ″Fancy Dutch″.[12]

Notable Americans of Pennsylvania Dutch descent include Henry J. Heinz, founder of the Heinz food conglomerate, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the family of businessman Elon Musk.[13]

  1. ^ Oscar Kuhns (2009). The German and Swiss Settlements of Colonial Pennsylvania A Study of the So-called Pennsylvania Dutch. Abigdon Press. p. 254.
  2. ^ William J. Frawley (2003). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics 2003. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 92.
  3. ^ Joshua R. Brown; Simon J. Bronner (2017). Pennsylvania Germans An Interpretive Encyclopedia · Volume 63. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 3.
  4. ^ University of Michigan (1956). Americas (English Ed.) Volume 8. Organization of American States. p. 21.
  5. ^ United States. Department of Agriculture (1918). Weekly News Letter to Crop Correspondents. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 5.
  6. ^ Janne Bondi Johannessen; Joseph C. Salmons (2015). Germanic Heritage Languages in North America: Acquisition, attrition and change. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 11.
  7. ^ Fred Lewis Pattee (2015). The House of the Black Ring: A Romance of the Seven Mountains. Penn State Press. p. 218.
  8. ^ Norm Cohen (2005). Folk Music: A Regional Exploration. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 105.
  9. ^ Mark L. Louden: Pennsylvania Dutch: The Story of an American Language. JHU Press, 2006, pp. 1-2; pp. 60-66; pp. 342-343.
  10. ^ Michael T. Putnam: Studies on German-Language Islands, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2011, p. 375
  11. ^ Joachim Scharloth, Nils Langer, Stephan Elspaß & Wim Vandenbussche: Germanic Language Histories 'from Below' (1700-2000), De Gruyter, 2011, p. 166.
  12. ^ Steven M. Nolt (March 2008). Foreigners in their own land: Pennsylvania Germans in the early republic. Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 13. ISBN 9780271034447.
  13. ^ Elliott, Hannah (March 26, 2012). "At Home With Elon Musk: The (Soon-to-Be) Bachelor Billionaire". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2015.