Vlach is a Slavic-derived term from the Germanic word Valah/Valach used to designate the Romance speaking peoples of South-Eastern Europe: Romanians, Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians and Istro-Romanians. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...  Countries where a West Slavic language is the national language  Countries where an East Slavic language is the national language  Countries where a South Slavic language is the national language The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages), a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... Aromanians (also called: Arumanians or Macedo-Romanians; in Aromanian they call themselves Arumâni, Armâni, Rămăni, Rumâni or Aromâni) are a people living throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Romania... Map of Balkans with regions inhabited by Megleno-Romanians in dark yellow Megleno-Romanians (In Megleno-Romanian: Vlashi, in Greek: Βλαχομογλενίτες Vlachomoglenítes) is an exonym for a people inhabiting six villages in the Moglená (Μογλενά) region of Macedonia spanning the Pella and Kilkis prefectures of Macedonia, Greece, as well as the... Map of Istro-Romanian-speaking villages, made by PuÅŸcariu in 1926. ...

While historically, it was used to refer to all Latin people of the Balkans, nowadays, this term is only rarely used to refer the Romanians, but rather to refer to the other Romanic peoples, living outside Romania.

Origins of the word

The Slavic term in turn derives from Germanic: it originates with *Walha by which the early Germanic tribes called their Celtic neighbours, possibly 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), see also Welsh. Walh is an ancient Germanic word, meaning foreigner or stranger. Several names of non-Germanic European regions are derived from the word Walh: Walachia Wales Wallis Wallonia Categories: Language stubs ... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... Wal/Gal Many region names (and some place names) in Europe derive from the original Germanic word for stranger or foreigner, rendered as wal or gal (and variations). ... The Volcae in the 2nd century BC were a large and powerful Celtic nation of Gallia Transalpina, comprised of two branches, the Volcae Arecomici and the Volcae Tectosages. ... Gaius Julius Caesar[1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC), often simply referred to as Julius Caesar, was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... The Greek geographer Strabo in a 16th century engraving. ... A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; c. ...

As the Celts of Gaul were Romanized, the word changed its meaning to "Romanic people", as it is still kept in the name of the Walloons of Belgium and in the German exonyms: The Latin peoples are those linguistic-cultural groups that speak one of the Romance languages; they are so-called because they speak languages descended from the vulgar form of Latin. ... The term Walloons (French: Wallons, Walloon: Walons) refers, in daily speech, to French-speaking Belgians from Wallonia. ... An exonym is a name for a place or people that is created by people outside of that place and is different from the name used in the native language. ...

• Welsche, often used in the German speaking part of Switzerland to refer to the people of the French-speaking Romandy,
• Walsche, often used in the German speaking part of Italy to refer to Italians,
• Walsche, used in Switzerland and South Tyrol for various Rhaeto-Romanic peoples, and
• in numerous placenames (but also Walnuss (Walnut)), for instance Walensee and Walenstadt, as well as Welschbern and Walschtirol (now almost always Verona and Trentino), and especially Walachen/Walachei (Wallachians/Wallachia).

The German speaking part of Switzerland (German: Deutschschweiz) comprises about 65 % of Switzerland (North Western Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Central Switzerland, most of the Swiss plateau and the greater part of the Swiss Alps) In most Swiss cantons, German is the only official language (Aargau, Appenzell, Basel, Glarus, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden... Map of the languages of Switzerland; Romandy is shown in purple. ... South Tyrol-Alto Adige (Italian: Alto Adige, German and Ladin: Südtirol; official in Italian: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige, official in German: Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol, official in Ladin: Provinzia Autonòma de Balsan - Südtirol) is an autonomous province of Italy that belongs to the region... Rhaeto-Romance languages are a Romance language sub-family which includes a few languages spoken in Switzerland and North-Eastern Italy. ... Species See text The walnuts (genus Juglans) are plants in the walnut family Juglandaceae. ... Verona is an ancient town, episcopal see, and province in Veneto, Northern Italy. ... Trentino-Alto Adige or Trentino-South Tyrol (in German: Trentino-Südtirol, in Italian: Trentino-Alto Adige) is an autonomous region in northern Italy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ...

The word in Slavic languages

This word for Romanic people was borrowed from the Germanic Goths (as *walhs) into Proto-Slavic some time before the 7th century. However, the first source using the word was the writings of Byzantine historian Kedrenos, from the mid-11th century, Invasion of the Goths: a late 19th century painting by O. Fritsche, is a highly romanticized portrait of the Goths as cavalrymen. ... Proto-Slavic is the proto-language from which Old Church Slavonic and other Slavic languages later emerged. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Georgios Kedrenos, also known as George Cedrenus, was a Byzantine historian of the mid eleventh century. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ...

Later on, the meaning of this noun in Slavic languages got narrower or just different:  Countries where a West Slavic language is the national language  Countries where an East Slavic language is the national language  Countries where a South Slavic language is the national language The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages), a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup...

In Greece, a package labeled ΓAΛA ΒΛΑΧΑΣ ("Vlach Milk", with the meaning of "Shepherd's Milk")

Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... The name Old Russian language has been applied to different things. ... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs everywhere. ... The Republic of Dubrovnik, also known as the Republic of Ragusa, was a maritime city-state that was based in the city of Dubrovnik from the 14th century until 1808. ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs everywhere. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Užice (Serbian Cyrillic: Ужице) is a town located in Serbia and Montenegro at 43. ... Stari Vlah (Serbian: Стари Влах/Stari Vlah, English: Old Vlach) is a historic and geographical region in Southwestern Serbia. ... County Dubrovnik–Neretva Area 143. ... Herzegovina (natively Hercegovina/Херцеговина) is a historical region in the Dinaric Alps that composes the southern part of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Coat of arms Istria (Istra, pronounced in Croatian and Slovenian; Istria, pronounced in Italian, Istrien, pronounced in German) is the biggest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... ... Serbs (in the Serbian language Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Virovitica-Podravina county - Virovitičko-podravska županija is a northern Slavonian county in Croatia. ... Shtokavian (Štokavian, štokavski) is the primary dialect of the Central South Slavic languages system, Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco (previously Jedna i jedina) Capital (and largest city)  Sarajevo Official languages Bosnian Croatian Serbian Government Emerging federal democratic republic  - Presidency members 1 Haris Silajdžić2 Željko KomÅ¡ić3  - Council of Ministers Chairman Nikola Å pirić Independence from Yugoslavia   - Declared March 1, 1992   - Recognized April 6... Serbs (in the Serbian language Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Friulian Coats of Arms Friuli (Furlan: Friûl, German: Friaul, Slovenian: Furlanija) is an area in northeastern Italy, comprising the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1215 KB) in Greece File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): History of the term Vlach Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1215 KB) in Greece File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): History of the term Vlach Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital...

The word in other languages

From the Slavs, it was passed on to other peoples, such as the Hungarians ("Oláh", referring to Romanians; "Olasz", referring to Italians, "Vlachok" referring to Vlachs, generally) and Byzantines/Greeks ("Βλάχοί", "Vlachoi") and was used for all Latin people of the Balkans. It also acquired a second meaning: "shepherd", after the occupation of many Vlachs of Greece and Serbia. In Albania, the opposite occurred: çoban "shepherd" comes to mean "Vlach". In German the word "vlach" was a pejorative name for an Orthodox Christian, a Serbian immigrant. In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ...

A name used for the Southern Vlachs of Greece is "Kutsovlach" (literally "limping Vlach"; possibly a reference to the way they spoke Greek), however the Aromanians consider it quite offensive. Another name used to refer to the Aromanians (mainly in the Slavic countries: Serbia and Bulgaria) is "tsintsar", which is derived from the way the Aromanians say the word 'five': "tsintsi".

Another Balkanic ethnicity is the Morlachs or Mavrovalachi (Greek for "black Vlachs"), living in the Dinaric Alps. Morlachs (in Greek: Mavrovlachi or Mauro-Vlachs, meaning Black Vlachs; in Latin sources: Nigri Latini) were a population of Vlach shepherds that lived in the Dinaric Alps (western Balkans in modern use), constantly migrating in search for better pastures for their sheep flocks. ... Morlachs (in Greek: Μαυροβλάχοι, Mavrovlachi or Mauro-Vlachs, meaning Black Vlachs; in Latin sources: Nigri Latini) were a population of Vlach shepherds that lived in the Dinaric Alps (western Balkans in modern use), constantly migrating in search for better pastures for their sheep flocks. ... Mt Orjen at the Bay of Kotor is the heaviest karstified range of the dinarids View of the central part of the Dinaric Alps (north=down) The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides (Italian: Alpi Dinariche; Croatian and Serbian: Dinaridi or Dinarsko gorje/Динариди or Динарско горје; Slovenian: Dinarsko gorstvo) form a mountain chain in...

Usage as autonym

The term was originally an exonym, as the Vlachs used various words derived from romanus to refer to themselves (români, rumâni, rumâri, aromâni, arumâni, armâni etc), but there are some exceptions:

• the Aromanians of Greece, often use "Βλάχοι" (Vlachoi) rather than "Αρμάνοι" (Armanoi) in Greek-language contexts.

• the Megleno-Romanians are the only people who use exclusively the word Vlach (Vlashi) for auto-designation. The loss of the name derived from Romanus most likely concluded in the early 19th century.

• the Romanian minority of Serbia living in Timok Valley (but not those of the Banat, see Romanians of Serbia), although speaking the standard Romanian dialect, are still referred as "Vlachs". In the Yugoslavian census figures, the Aromanians of Macedonia and the Romanians of Serbia were both classified as "Vlachs".

Aromanians (also called: Arumanians or Macedo-Romanians; in Aromanian they call themselves Arumâni, Armâni, Rămăni, Rumâni or Aromâni) are a people living throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Romania... Map of Balkans with regions inhabited by Megleno-Romanians in dark yellow Megleno-Romanians (In Megleno-Romanian: Vlashi, in Greek: Βλαχομογλενίτες Vlachomoglenítes) is an exonym for a people inhabiting six villages in the Moglená (Μογλενά) region of Macedonia spanning the Pella and Kilkis prefectures of Macedonia, Greece, as well as the... Vlachs (Vlach/Romanian: Rumâni, Serbian: Власи or Vlasi) are an ethnic group of Serbia, culturally and linguistically cognate to Romanians. ... Timočka Krajina (Serbian: Timočka Krajina or Тимочка Крајина, Vlach/Romanian: Valea Timocului or Timoc) is a geographical region located in Serbia and Montenegro. ... Banat (Romanian: Banat; Serbian: Банат or Banat; German: Banat; Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság; Slovak: Banát) is a geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe divided among three countries: the eastern part belongs to Romania (the counties of Timiş, Caraş-Severin, Arad, and Mehedinţi), the western... Romanians (Romanian: Românii din Serbia, Serbian: Rumuni or Румуни) are a recognised national minority in Serbia, numbering 34,576 according to 2002 census. ...

See also

• Etymology of Romania
• Origin of Romanians
• English and Welsh

NeacÅŸus letter, the oldest surviving document written in Romanian has the oldest appearence of the word Romanian Romanians are a people living in South-Eastern Europe speaking a Romance language. ... The Romanians (also sometimes referred to along with other Balkan Latin peoples as Vlachs) are a nation speaking Romanian, a Romance language, and living in Central and Eastern Europe. ... English and Welsh is the title of J. R. R. Tolkiens valedictory address to the University of Oxford of 1955, explaining the origin of the word Welsh. In a lengthy sidenote, Tolkien discusses his notions of native tongue as opposed to cradle tongue, and of an inherited taste of...

References

• Orbis Latinus: Wallachians, Walloons, Welschen
• Victor A. Friedman, The Vlah minority in Macedonia
• Steriu T. Hagigogu, "Romanus şi valachus sau Ce este romanus, roman, român, aromân, valah şi vlah", Bucharest, 1939