Derivation of "Wales"

[Julia Pührer]

I can confirm this. I have only recently heard that in the Austrian province 
of Carinthia, people who belong to the Slovene minority there are sometimes 
referred to as "welsch" ("wösch").

J. Puehrer


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold F. Schiffman" <haroldfs at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: Derivation of "Wales"


> German also has the term Welsch, meaning something like "outlander" or
> foreigner. (Now pejorative in "Kauderwelsch" meaning 'mish-mash',
> jibberish, etc.)
>
> Hal S.
>
> On Fri, 23 Sep 2005, Kephart, Ronald wrote:
>
>> >  I doubt Ron's derivation of Wales.  I understand it comes from
>> >Galicia  of which there was one in old Anatolia, hardly a place
>> >where Old English was spoken.
>> >
>> >  Christina Paulston
>>
>> Christina, I could be wrong. I'm going by my American Heritage
>> Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition (1980), which
>> gives the etymology as:
>>
>> Middle English Wales, Old English Wealas, [...] plural of wealh,
>> foreigner, Roman, Celt, Welshman.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>