34. Old-Order Amish Largely Speak Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch isn’t derived from Dutch, the language of the Netherlands. Instead, it comes from “Deutsch,” the German self-identifier. Pennsylvania Dutch is an entirely different dialect than standard German. After World War II, the language mostly fell out of favor except among the more traditional, old-order Amish. Religious services are often conducted in High German, of which Pennsylvania “Dutch” is a dialect.
