Pennsylvania Dutch

noun

1. the descendants of 17th- and 18th-century settlers in Pennsylvania from southwest Germany and Switzerland.
2. Also called Pennsylvania German. 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.

Pennsylvania Dutch

noun

1. Also calledPennsylvania German a dialect of German spoken in E Pennsylvania
2. the Pennsylvania Dutch
   the Pennsylvania Dutch functioning as plural a group of German-speaking people in E Pennsylvania, descended from 18th-century settlers from SW Germany and Switzerland

Pennsylvania Dutch

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 .

Other Words From

• Pennsyl·vania-Dutch adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pennsylvania Dutch¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

He was in the Pennsylvania Dutch district, the richest and thriftiest farming country in the world.

From Project Gutenberg

He swore in Pennsylvania-Dutch, and again demanded my explanation, which I firmly declined to give.

From Project Gutenberg