Meanings
- datedThe land of foreigners; a foreign land, originally applied to Celtic lands, but later extended to include Roman and Romance-speaking areas.
For a century after Hengist and Horsa the green island which they were conquering was a "Welshland," or abode of strangers, while the "Dutchland," or home of "the folks," was the half-sunken coast they had left behind them.
1902, John Fiske, The Historical Writings of John Fiske - rareThe land of the Welsh; Wales.
Welshland: Now called Wales, Welshland lay just west of Mercia and was made up of Celts that held many different lands, which included place names like Gwent and Gwynedd.
2005, Curt Bissonette, Noble Stone2 more examples
It is now practically established that the legend emanated from the Kymri, spreading from "Welshland" through Cornwall into the Welsh-speaking colony of Brittany upon the opposite shore.
1905, The Gentleman's magazineBut I have opposed them, and think to withsay, for I have been steward of all Britain's land, and earl I am potent, unlike to my companions, and I have Welshland half-part in my hand; more I have alone than the others all clean.
1996, Wace, Eugene Mason, Layamon, Arthurian chronicles - historicalrareusually following German terminologyItaly.
And this denomination, originating from this part, was afterward transferred to the whole of Italy, which was called Welshland, and its inhabitants Welshers.
1818, Royal Irish Academy, The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy1 more example
He says that in his time Lombardy, or Gallia Cisalpina, was called by the Germans Welshland, and hence, by the vulgar, Italy was called Welshland, and the Italians Welshers.
1873, Lewis Gidley, Stonehenge
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- GermanWelschland
- EnglishWelshland
From Welsh + land. Compare Old English wēalland (“foreign country, Normandy”). Cognate with German Wälschland (“Italy”, literally “foreign-land”), German Welschland (“French-speaking Switzerland, Romance-speaking land”). Sense 3 is a semantic loan from German Welschland.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Welshland. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Welshland
“Welshland.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Welshland. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Welshland,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Welshland.
Source: Welshland on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.