They probably recognized enough to tell it was a Germanic language, but knows no German.
That would be a very common response in my area, but it was settled prominently by German immigrants.
There’s a subtle awareness you get growing up around people who are very proud of their Germanic heritage, but not in a racist way like some would assume from the south.
Whenever I said Baden-Württemberg to an English speaker they just say Gesundheit. 🤷🏻♂️
They probably recognized enough to tell it was a Germanic language, but knows no German.
That would be a very common response in my area, but it was settled prominently by German immigrants.
There’s a subtle awareness you get growing up around people who are very proud of their Germanic heritage, but not in a racist way like some would assume from the south.