Re: CHAT: Vlach (was: Roumania...)

Raymond A. Brown wrote:

> I must admit I've never heard it suggested that 'wealh'/ 'welisc' meant
> "slave".   AFAIK there was no germanic word for this.
JRRT says in "English and Welsh":

# In the same way the use of *wealh* for slave is due solely to the
# situation in Britain.  But again the gloss 'slave' is probably
# misleading.  Though the word *slave* itself shows that a national
# name can become generalized in this sense, I doubt if this was ever
# true of *wealh*.  The OE word for 'slave' in general reamined
# *theow*, which was used of slaves in other countries or of other
# origin.  The use of *wealh*, apart from the legal status to
# which surviving elements of the conquered were no doubt often
# reduced, must always have implied recognition of British origin.


--
John Cowan      http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)