Where does “welsch” come from?
welsch (Middle High German) comes from Old High German walahisc, from Proto-Germanic *walhisk, from Proto-Germanic walhiskaz, from Proto-Germanic walhaz, from Latin Volcae, from Proto-Celtic wolkos, from Proto-Indo-European welg- — wet, damp.
Ancestry of “welsch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | walahisc | Roman |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *walhisk | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | walhiskaz | foreign, non-Germanic |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | walhaz | foreigner, non-Germanic person |
| 5 | Latin | Volcae | a Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic... |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | wolkos | hawk |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | welg- | wet, damp |
Words derived from “welsch”