Wealas

Wealas is a historical exonym used in medieval English and Latin sources to refer to the Welsh people and, more broadly, to Celtic-speaking inhabitants of Britain. The term ultimately derives from Old English Wealas, a word that denoted foreigners and non-Germanic peoples, and it is part of a broader family of Germanic ethnonyms for Celts and other non-Germanic groups. In this context, Wealas came to designate the Welsh and, at times, Britons more generally in early medieval writings.

Etymology and linguistic notes point to a connection with Proto-Germanic roots around the concept of “foreigners.” The form Wealas contributed to the development of later English words such as Wales and Welsh. The Welsh self-designation remains Cymry, and the land is called Cymru in Welsh; these endonyms contrast with the external exonym Wealas used by neighboring Germanic-speaking peoples.

Usage and attestations: Wealas appears in various early medieval English chronicles, poetry, and Latin annals as a label for the Welsh people. Over time, the practical use of Wealas diminished as the terms Wales and Welsh became standard in English, and the term is now primarily of historical and philological interest. It is studied as part of the linguistic and ethnographic history of the British Isles, illustrating how external names for peoples can evolve or fall into disuse while national self-designations endure.