The Amish are a religious group who live in settlements in 22 of the United States and Ontario, Canada.  The oldest group of "Old Order Amish," about 16-18,000 people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

The Amish stress humility, family and community, and separation from the world. The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance.  The first sizable group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720's or 1730's.

Most Amish are trilingual.  They speak a dialect of German called Pennsylvania Dutch at home; they use High German at their worship services; and they learn English at school.  They speak English when they deal with anyone who is not Amish.  They pronounce Amish with a broad "a" (Ah-mish).