In a message dated 01/08/2007 6:25:56 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: My opinion is that it is somewhat risky to name certain counties as being > "Pennsylvania Dutch" -- that is, risking slighting people of "Pennsylvania > Dutch" heritage who were in counties other than those cited Fred, I concur. I read somewhere - sorry don't have the source handy - that PA Deutsch (Dutch) referred to Germanic language, not national origin. What needs to be remembered is that there was no German state until the late 19th Century. Nor were there other countries in that area which we now recognize. Before that Germanic tribes occupied a vast area, which now include several countries other than what is now considered Germany. This area was an array of principalities, and depending on the local 'prince' who ruled the area, religion became a tool of subjugation and control. Many suffered cruel and unusual punishment if they did not adhere to the local prince's religious edicts; thus the emigration to areas of America which granted freedom of religion. With the use of colloquialisms and subtle changes in word meaning and usage, languages take on a life of their own in different regions over time. As immigrants from Central Europe, now Germany, Austria, Poland, France, Switzerland, etc., with the same linguistic roots, who suffered religious intolerance in Europe. settled in the new world, the Germanic language, or Deutsch, allowed them to interact no matter what their religion. The language became a common denominator for those of different ideologies living in the same area. In Pa the colloquial term for this language: PA Dutch, now recognized as a signifier of a certain culture, people, food, etc., in the U.S. Just my pennie's worth on the discussion. Regards, Jan