Walhaz
''Walhaz'' is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic word meaning 'foreigner', or more specifically 'Roman', 'Romance-speaker' or '(romanized) Celt', and survives in English as 'Welsh'. The term was used by the ancient Germanic peoples to describe inhabitants of the former Roman Empire, who were largely romanised and spoke Latin languages (cf. Valland in Old Norse). The adjectival form is attested in Old Norse ', meaning 'French'; Old High German ', meaning 'Romance'; New High German ', used in Switzerland and South Tyrol for Romance speakers; Dutch ' ' Walloon'; Old English ', ', ', meaning ' Brythonic'. The forms of these words imply that they are descended from a Proto-Germanic form ''*walhiska-''. From ''*Walhaz'' to ''welsch'' is a loanword derived from the name of the Celtic tribe which was known to the Romans as Volcae (in the writings of Julius Caesar) and to the Greeks as (Strabo and Ptolemy).Ringe, Don.Inheritance versus lexical borrowing: a case with decisive sound-change ...
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Proto-Germanic Language
Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic languages, Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from Germanic parent language, pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic branches during the fifth century BC to fifth century AD: West Germanic languages, West Germanic, East Germanic languages, East Germanic and North Germanic languages, North Germanic, which however remained in language contact, contact over a considerable time, especially the Ingvaeonic languages (including History of English, English), which arose from West Germanic dialects and remained in continued contact with North Germanic. A defining feature of Proto-Germanic is the completion of the process described by Grimm's law, a set of sound changes that occurred between its status as a dialect of Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European and its gradual divergence into ...
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