savoyard

Savoyard is a demonym describing a person from Savoy, a region in the western Alps now part of France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, comprising Savoie and Haute-Savoie. Historically, Savoy referred to the Duchy (and later the Kingdom of Sardinia–Savoy) centered in the area around present-day Savoy. The term can denote origin, culture, or language; Savoyards historically spoke a variant of Francoprovençal (Arpitan) and later predominantly French, with regional traditions in cuisine, dress, and alpine heritage.

In political history, the Duchy of Savoy emerged in the Middle Ages and expanded over centuries; it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and eventually contributed to the unification of Italy in the 19th century. In 1860 Savoy and Nice were ceded to France by the Treaty of Turin, leaving Savoy as a French region. Today, “Savoyard” generally refers to inhabitants of the Savoie region or people with ancestry there, though it can also be used in historical or cultural contexts.

In popular culture, “Savoyard” has a notable secondary usage: performers associated with the Savoy Theatre in London, and the Savoy Opera tradition created by Gilbert and Sullivan are sometimes described as Savoyards. The term also appears in references to Savoy wine from the Savoie winemaking area and Savoyard cuisine.