Pennsylvania German

English

Blue: The counties with the highest proportion of Pennsylvania German speakers.
Red: The counties with the highest number of Pennsylvania German speakers.

Noun

Pennsylvania German (countable and uncountable, plural Pennsylvania Germans)

1. (countable) A person descended from German immigrants to Pennsylvania before 1800.
2. (uncountable) The High German language, descending from Palatine German, which is spoken by the Pennsylvania Dutch. (Not to be confused with the Low German language Plautdietsch which is also spoken in Pennsylvania.)

Synonyms

• Pennsylvania Dutch

Translations

person — see Pennsylvania Dutch

language — see Pennsylvania Dutch

Adjective

Pennsylvania German (not comparable)

1. Relating to the Pennsylvania Germans or their language.

Synonyms

• Pennsylvania Dutch

Translations

Pennsylvania Dutch — see Pennsylvania Dutch

Usage notes

The term Pennsylvania Dutch is colloquially applied to the people, their culture and their language. Pennsylvania Dutch is more commonly termed Pennsylvania German in scholarly discourse.

See also

• Category:Pennsylvania German language for words in Pennsylvania German

Further reading

• ISO 639-3 code pdc (SIL)
• Ethnologue entry for Pennsylvania German, pdc ⁠