Here's how they got their name:
* German Ancestry: The "Pennsylvania Dutch" are actually descendants of German-speaking immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries.
* "Dutch" as a Misinterpretation: The word "Dutch" in this context comes from the English word "Deutsch", which means "German" in German.
* Early Settlers: When English colonists encountered these German-speaking immigrants, they often mispronounced "Deutsch" as "Dutch". This misunderstanding persisted, and the name "Pennsylvania Dutch" became widely used.
So, while the term "Pennsylvania Dutch" is inaccurate, it has become deeply ingrained in their cultural identity. Today, they are often referred to as "Pennsylvania Dutch" or simply "Dutch".