Pennsylvania Dutch

American  

noun

1. the descendants of 17th- and 18th-century settlers in Pennsylvania from southwest Germany and Switzerland.

2. Also called Pennsylvania German.  a dialect of High German with an admixture of English spoken mainly in eastern Pennsylvania, developed from the language of these settlers. PaD, PaG

3. the folk style of applied and decorative art developed by the Pennsylvania Dutch.

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Pennsylvania Dutch British  

noun

1. Also called: Pennsylvania German.  a dialect of German spoken in E Pennsylvania

2. (functioning as plural) a group of German-speaking people in E Pennsylvania, descended from 18th-century settlers from SW Germany and Switzerland

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Pennsylvania Dutch Cultural  

1. The German and Swiss settlers of Pennsylvania in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and their descendants. “Dutch” is a version of the German Deutsch, meaning “German.” The Pennsylvania Dutch are known for their tidy farms and their distinctive crafts and customs. A considerable number of them belong to strict religious denominations, such as the Amish.

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Other Word Forms

• Pennsylvania-Dutch adjective

Etymology

Origin of Pennsylvania Dutch

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

As the German-speaking Pennsylvania Dutch settled in America, the tradition moved stateside with a groundhog replacing the badger.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025

Because of Pennsylvania Dutch folklore, which helped give birth to the Groundhog Day tradition, that region has several on the job, including Mount Joy Minnie and Dover Doug.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2023

The superstition comes from Pennsylvania Dutch culture, which makes sense given that the groundhog's range is largely confined to eastern U.S. states like Pennsylvania as well as Canada.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2023

The Philly market has a number of old-school butchers, and 12 Pennsylvania Dutch vendors who specialize in Pennsylvania Dutch specialties such as baked goods, cheeses, chicken potpies and confections.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2023

Everyone raved about this Pennsylvania Dutch specialty, but I thought it tasted gross.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter