Information about Walha

Walha () is an ancient Germanic word, meaning "foreigner" or "stranger" ("welsh") or "roman". It is attested in the Roman Iron Age Tjurkö Bracteate inscription as walhakurne, probably "welsh crown" for "Roman coin", i.e. "bracteate". The term was used by the ancient germanic peoples to describe the inhabitants of the former Roman Empire, which were largely romanised and spoke Latin or Celtic languages. Today in the German language, Welsche refers to Latin (or Romanic) peoples: the Italians in particular, but also the French and the group in general. It is possibly derived from the name of the tribe which was known to the Romans as Volcae (in the writings of Julius Caesar) and to the Greeks as Ouólkai (Strabo and Ptolemy).

In Pennsylvania German, "Welsch" means "strange" as well as "Welsh," and is sometimes compounded with other words to form new words. For example, the words in Pennsylvania German for "turkey" is "Welschhaahne" and "Welschhinkel," which literally mean "strange chicken." "Welschkann" is the word for maize and literally translates to "strange grain." The verb "welsche" means "to jabber."

Several names of non-Germanic European regions are derived from the word Walh:

• Walachia (see also Vlach and Etymology of Vlach)
• Wales, Welsh
• Cornwall
• in village names ending in -walchen, such as Straßwalchen or Seewalchen, mostly located in the Salzkammergut region and indicating Roman settlement
• In German Welsch or Walsch, outdated for "Romanic", and still in use in Swiss German for Romands.
• in numerous placenames (but also Walnuss (Walnut)), for instance Walensee and Walenstadt, as well as Welschbern and Walschtirol (now almost always Verona and Trentino), and especially Walachen/Walachei (Wallachians/Wallachia).
• the Belgian region of Wallonia.
• 'Włochy', Polish name of Italy
• In Hungarian, "Oláh", referring to Romanians; "Olasz", referring to Italians, "Vlachok" referring to Vlachs, generally.
• Stari Vlah ("the Old Vlach") region around the city of Užice, and the name Starovlahs for the medieval local Celto-Slavic population (see also History of the term Vlach)
• There is a street in Regensburg named Wallengasse, once inhabited by Italian merchants.
• In English usage the words Gaul and Gaulish are used synonymously with Latin Gallia, Gallus and Gallicus. However the similarity of the names is probably accidental: the English words are borrowed from French Gaule and Gaulois, which appear to have been borrowed themselves from walha-. Germanic w is regularly rendered with French gu / g (cf. guerre = war, garder = ward), and the diphthong au is the regular outcome of al before a following consonant (cf. cheval ~ chevaux). Gaule or Gaulle can hardly be derived from Latin Gallia, since g would become j before a (cf. gamba > jambe), and the diphthong au would be incomprehensible; the regular outcome of Latin Gallia would have been *Jaille in French.^[1][2]

References

See also

• Theodiscus