# Why Dutch??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528 "2001-08-01T20:18:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daffodil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@daffodil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffodil)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/1 "2001-08-01T20:18:08Z")
I wonder where the word “Dutch” came from in relation to my country. We live in \*Holland [or the Netherlands] \* speak “Hollands [or Nederlands”] Our neigbours the German however; Call themselves _Deutsch_, speak “Deutsch” and live in Deutschland. I think Deutsch sounds a whole lot more Dutch than Hollands. Anyone know why? \*btw, I realy like our neighbours. Gutenabend, freunde 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zweistein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/54ee81/32.png) [@Zweistein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zweistein)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/2 "2001-08-01T20:41:54Z")
The old form of Neder-Hollands, more related to ‘Vlaams’ (Flemish) is ‘Diets’. It’s the base language for Flemish, Dutch, and German. Related dialects are especially heard in Belgian Limburg, Netherlands Limburg, and Nord-Rhein Westfalen (Kölsch). The Luxemburg language(Letzebuerg) is closely related. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/3 "2001-08-01T20:47:56Z")
Per my Merriam-Webster’s, Dutch as a word entered the English language in the 1400s as a term to loosely group the Germanic peoples and languages of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Low Countries. In the US, at least, we also have the Pennsylvannia Dutch, who, you guessed it, are from German and originally _spricht Hoch Deutsch_. So we have Austrians, Germans, Swiss, Flemish and _Dutch_. Why not Nederlanders or Hollanders? Maybe we couldn’t pronounce it. Just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/4 "2001-08-01T20:50:10Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_162.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_162.html) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/5 "2001-08-01T20:50:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ShibbOleth \* > \*\*…are from German … \*\* are from German? are from German **extract**? are from German **y**? I never know what the hell I am saying either. Pay me no nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/6 "2001-08-01T22:08:58Z")
Im not so sure the Pennsylvania Dutch at any time spoke Hochdeutsch. I could be mistaken here, but I was under the impression that Jacob Aman and his followers came from southwestern Germany and Switzerland. There are very heavy dialects spoken in these regions. In any case, Hochdeutsch sure as hell isnt spoken by the Amish today. RK ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/7 "2001-08-01T22:53:41Z")
Ask Coldfire. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dutch/74528/8 "2001-08-02T13:23:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*Im not so sure the Pennsylvania Dutch at any time spoke Hochdeutsch. I could be mistaken here, but I was under the impression that Jacob Aman and his followers came from southwestern Germany and Switzerland. There are very heavy dialects spoken in these regions. > > In any case, Hochdeutsch sure as hell isnt spoken by the Amish today. > RK \*\* Now I’m quoting verbatim: > [@](#): > > _from on-line Meriam Webster_ > \*\*Pennsylvannia Dutch: > > 2:\*\* a dialect of High German spoken in parts of Pennsylvannia and Maryland Sorry that I left out the part about it being a dialect. IIRC most German currently in use in German is dialectic variations of High German. Personally I had a lot of trouble to understand the German spoken in southern Germany, and in Switzerland (\* Schweitzer Teutsch\*), _fuggedaboutit!_ Sorry for the confusion.