Welsch
/wɛlʃ/noun
A historical German word used for a foreigner, especially a Romance-speaking person; in some contexts, it also referred specifically to Welsh people.
Did you know?Welsch is a real historical ethnonym in Germanic languages, and its meaning drifted over time from a broad label for “foreign/Romance-speaking” people to more specific regional senses.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*walhaz
“A term for a foreigner, especially a Celtic or Latin-speaking person”
Old English
OE
wealh
“A foreigner, Briton, or Welsh person; later also a serf or slave in some contexts”
Old High German
OHG
walh
“A foreigner, especially a Romance-speaking person”
Middle High German
MHG
welsch
“Foreign; Romance-speaking; specifically Italian or French in many contexts”
Modern German
German
welsch
“Dialectal or historical term for Romance-speaking or non-German peoples, especially in older usage”