Schweiz
/ʃvaɪts/noun
Switzerland; the German name for the Swiss Confederation.
Did you know?The German name Schweiz comes from the canton of Schwyz, whose name was so politically powerful that it spread to label the whole confederation.
Etymological Timeline
Old High German
OHG
Switz
“An early form of the canton name Schwyz, probably referring to a settlement or territory in what is now central Switzerland.”
13th Century
Middle High German
Swiz
“The name of the canton Schwyz, increasingly prominent among the Swiss cantons.”
14th Century
Middle High German
Swīz
“Used by extension for the confederation led by the canton.”
16th Century
German
Schweiz
“The standard German name for Switzerland.”
Modern English
English
Switzerland
“The English country name, historically derived from the same canton name through French and German usage.”