German, Pennsylvania

A language of United States

Die Mudderschprooch, Pennsilfaani-Deitsch, Pennsylfaanisch Deitsch, Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch, Pennsylvania Deitsh, Pennsylvania Dutch, Pennsylvanisch-Deitsch, Pennsylvanish

Autonym

Deitsch, Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch

User Population

133,000 in United States (2015 census), increasing. Ethnic population: 200,000 (Kloss and McConnell 1981). Total users in all countries: 148,000.

Location

Scattered; Florida; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Missouri; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin; new communities in other states.

Language Maps

Northern Central United States of America

Northeastern United States of America

Southeastern United States of America

Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification

Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German

Dialects

Amish Pennsylvania German (Plain Pennsylvania German), Non-Amish Pennsylvania German (Non-Plain Pennsylvania German, Pensylvanisch Deitsch). Blending of several German dialects, primarily Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalzer) German, with syntactic elements of High German and English. Mostly incomprehensible to those from the Palatinate (Kloss 1978).

Language Use

Plain community not shifting to English [eng], but maintains stable bilingualism (1987 M. Louden). All domains. Some of all ages. Most also use English [eng].

Language Development

Bible: 2013.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about German, Pennsylvania

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Separate orthographies for Pennsylvania and Ohio dialects. Christian.