Walha

Walh (singular) or Walha (plural) () is a Germanic word, meaning "foreigner", "stranger" or "Roman", . The word can be found in Old High German walhisk, meaning "Roman, in Old English wilisc, meaning "Romano-British" and in Old Norse as valskr, meaning "French". Thus it will be derived from an Proto-Germanic form such as *walhiska-.Arend Quak 2005: "Van Ad Welschen naar Ad Waalsen of toch maar niet?", in: (nl)It is attested in the Roman Iron Age Tjurkö Bracteate inscription as walhakurne "Roman/Gallic grain", apparently a kenning for "gold" (referring to the "bracteate" itself). The term was used by the ancient Germanic peoples to describe inhabitants of the former Roman Empire, who were largely romanised and spoke Latin or Celtic languages.

From *Walhaz to welsch

Walh is probably 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).Ringe, Don. "." Language Log, January 2009. With the Old Germanic name *Walhaz, plural *Walhôz, adjectival form *walhiska-, this neighbouring people of the Germanic people were meant some centuries before Christ. It is assumed that this term specifically referred to the Celtic Volcae, because by a precise application of the first......
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