Pennsylvania Dutch is the language used by the Amish population here in Lancaster County. It is considered to be their first and native language. The Amish learn to read, write and speak in English, allowing them to communicate with the 'outside world'.
In addition to Pennsylvania Dutch, the Amish also speak English. Some Amish communities also use a third language, High German, for religious purposes.
Conclusion. The Amish, or Pennsylvania Dutch as many outsiders know them, are Germanic people. Most of the earliest Amish arrivals came from the Swiss/Alsace region and brought their traditions and mother tongue with them. Generations of living apart from other communities have kept their heritage intact.
The Amish generally don't use the modern technological communication that modern society has come to rely on. They prefer time-honored traditional forms of communication, like hand-written letters. This keeps their language, with all its nuances and complexity, alive.
Most Amish people enjoy talking with outsiders, if they don't feel like they are regarded as animals in the zoo.
The Amish believe that technology, especially cell phones, separates people and takes away important face-to-face communication and social interaction. In more lenient communities, cell phones may be used by families in a central location, with no particular owner, to keep in touch with family.
Yes, there still is a place in the world where the process of a boy and a girl getting to know each other is called 'courting. ' In Amish communities throughout the Midwest and stretching into other regions of the United States, dating is called courting and breaking up is referred to as 'quitting' each other.
Amish, also called Amish Mennonite, member of a Christian group in North America, primarily the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church. The church originated in the late 17th century among followers of Jakob Ammann.
Q: May outsiders join the Amish? A: Yes. Although the Amish do not actively evangelize, several dozen outside people have joined the Amish. Potential members must be willing to learn the dialect and accept the rules of the church in order to be baptized and become members of the church.
Amish as an ethnic group
The Amish are united by a common Swiss-German ancestry, language, and culture, and they marry within the Amish community. The Amish therefore meet the criteria of an ethnic group.
The Amish (/ˈɑːmɪʃ/; Pennsylvania German: Amisch; German: Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins.
The Amish learn to read, write and speak in English, allowing them to communicate with the 'outside world'. This language is also spoken by Amish who live all over the USA and in Canada. Even though each community speaks it differently, they all understand each other.
Today, the Amish population in the United States is estimated to be over 360,000 individuals spread across more than 30 states. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana are traditionally recognized as the states with the largest Amish communities.
Amish men and women usually assume traditional and well-defined gender roles. Husbands carry the primary responsibility for the financial well-being of the family. Wives typically devote themselves to housekeeping and motherhood.
This is based on the biblical principle of wives being submissive to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24). This doesn't mean that Amish women are treated as second-class citizens. They're still considered equal in worth and value. However, they're expected to defer to their husband's decisions and opinions.
Marriage in the Amish community is seen as a passage into adulthood. To get married in the Amish community, members must be baptized in the church. Outsiders, non-Amish, or 'English', as they call the rest of the world, are not permitted to marry within the Amish community.
After giving birth, Amish mothers breastfeed their babies for as long as possible.
Amish parents consider their children their greatest earthly treasure. Children are welcomed as a blessing from God and large families are the norm.
Amish women are expected to cook, clean, and care for the children. They also often help with farm work. While some Amish women do work outside the home, it is usually in a job that is related to the home, such as being a midwife or a teacher. The Amish believe it's important for women to be involved in the community.
As part of their Ordnung, Old Order Amish forbid owning automobiles; tapping electricity from public utility lines; owning televisions, radios, or personal computers; attending high school or college; joining the military; and initiating divorce. All Amish groups expect men and women to wear prescribed clothing.
While the Amish do not take pictures of themselves, they do use mirrors. The use of a mirror is allowed because unlike a picture, it is not a graven image. Women use mirrors to do their hair and men use mirrors to shave. If you take our guided farmhouse tour, you'll spot a few mirrors in the house.
It is also not unusual to see Amish using such 2Oth-century technologies as inline skates, disposable diapers, cell phones and gas barbecue grills, because they are not specifically prohibited by the Ordnung. Technology is one of the areas where you will see the greatest differences between Amish orders.