How do you say happy birthday Pennsylvania German?

Answer 1

Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) is German. In German, Happy Birthday is said, "

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag"

To take a stab at the pronunciation . . . "hairts-leek-uhn glueyk-voonch tsoom guh-BURTS-tok"

During World War I, the German immigrants in the US were being picked on because the US were a war with Germany. They started using the term, "Pennsylvania Dutch" so that people would think they were from Holland.

______________________________ -This is incorrect. Pennsylvania Dutch were named this since the 1600/1700s. Our language is a dialect from the Palatinate region in Germany (along with some Swiss influences and other influences). Also, it's Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch (Schprooch).

Happy Birthday is Hallicher Gebottsdaag/Geburtsdaag.

Dutch, in older English, had connections to nearly all Germanic peoples, especially before Germany becamse a unified nationstate in the 1800s.

However, it is correct that Pennsylvania Dutch is related to today's High-German (Hochdeutsch.. or in Pennsylvania Dutch - Hochdeitsch). It is also correct that during WW1, WW2, and even in the colonial days, the Pennsylvania Dutch were not just picked on but faced injustices. Including the government mandate to wipe out our language in the school houses.

Edited by an actual PA Dutch who is also familiar with PA Dutch history and language...

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Answer 2

Happy Birthday