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About the Pennsylvania-Dutch
The widely scattered agricultural population of American immigrants had its language influence in Pennsylvania. The German dialects were brought from abroad, mostly from the region of the Upper Rhine, and the Neckar, the latter furnishing the Surabian or Rhenish Bavarian element. The language is therefore South German, as brought in by emigrants from Rhenish Bavaria, Baden, Alsace (Alsatia), Würtemberg, German Swissland, and Darmstadt. There were also natives from other regions, with certain French Neutrals deported from Nova Scotia to various parts of the United States, including the county of Lancaster where genealogists and historians find most of their information.
“These, and probably some families with French names from Alsace, are indicated by a few proper names, like Roberdeau, Lebo, Deshong and Shunk (both for Dejean), and an occasional word like júschtaménnt (in German spelling), the French justement, but which a native might take for a condensation of just-an-dem-ende.”
“Welsh names like Jenkins, Evans, Owen, Foulke, Griffith, Morgan, and Jones occur, with the township names of Brecknock, Caernarvon, Lampeter, Leacock (‘Lea’ as lay), and in the next county of Chester — Gwinedd and Tredyffrin; but there seems to have been no fusion between Welsh and German, probably because the Welsh may have spoken English. Local names like Hanōver, Heidelberg and Manheim…
