Vlach

[ vlahk, vlak ]

noun

1. 1. a member of any people traditionally speaking a Balkan Romance language, including Romanian and Aromanian.
   2. Romanian ( def 1 ).
   3. Aromanian ( def 2 ).
2. 1. the Romance languages spoken in the Balkans, including Romanian and Aromanian.
   2. Romanian ( def 2 ).
   3. Aromanian ( def 1 ).

adjective

1. of or relating to Balkan Romance languages or their speakers.
2. Romanian ( def 3 ).
3. Aromanian ( def 3 ).

Vlach

/ vlɑːk; ˈwɑːlɒk /

noun

1. a member of a people scattered throughout SE Europe in the early Middle Ages, speaking a Romanic dialect

adjective

1. of or relating to Vlachs or their dialect

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vlach¹

First recorded in 1840–45; from a South Slavic language, e.g., Bulgarian vlakh or Serbo-Croatian vlah, from Proto-Slavic volkhŭ (unattested) from Proto-Germanic walhaz (unattested) “stranger, foreigner, Roman, Romance speaker, Romanized Celt,” from Latin Volcae, the name of a Gallic tribal confederation of the 3rd century b.c., and the name of Celtic tribes in southwestern Gaul (modern France) near the Pyrenees, mentioned by Caesar in his Gallic Wars ; Welsh ( def ), Walloon

Example Sentences

Gradually in this hinterland population the Roman and the Vlach died out, but the latter's name was retained.

From Project Gutenberg

The native name of these people is Vlach, Wallach, or Wallachian.

From Project Gutenberg

The Vlach population, which has been increased by the annexation of Thessaly, numbers about 60,000.

From Project Gutenberg