Dear Ewald, You wrote in your reply to Justin:"These villages became "welsches villages" because their population spoke French and not Alsacian dialect. The inhabitants of these villages were not easily accepted by the inhabitants of the other villages due to the other language they spoke and to their other religion (Calvinist and not Lutheran). Thus, these new settlers intermarried in the above 7 villages."I was especially interested, since one of my relative branches is Welschhans. My first thought was that the name was a combination of Welsh (immigrants from Wales) and Hans (the German name). What does the adjective "welsches" mean? I don't have my German dictionary here, but I think I remember a German word meaning "those" (as "dieses" would mean "these"). I don't understand the connection to French speakers and the word "welsches."I join Justin in thanking you and everyone for your transcriptions and historical information. Lucy

Hi Lucy, "Welschhans" means "der welsche Hans": Hans von einem fremden Land, von Frankreich oder Italien/ foreigner from France or Italia, French or Italian, roman or latin, according to my German-French dictionnary. Specifically in Alsace, "welsche Hans" means "Hans from France, outside of Alsace": this refers to a French speaking Hans (Italy is too far from Alsace, therefore not concerned). Another example: die welsche Schweiz = la Suisse romande / Western Switzerland (French speaking part of Switzerland) Ewald -------------------------------------------------- From: "Lucy Battersby" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 12:44 PM To: "Alsace-Lorraine listserv" <[email protected]> Subject: [A-L] Greetings / Questions concerning Kirrberg/Diedendorf/Rauwiller parishes > > Dear Ewald, > > You wrote in your reply to Justin:"These villages became "welsches > villages" because their population spoke French and not Alsacian dialect. > The inhabitants of these villages were not easily accepted by the > inhabitants of the other villages due to the other language they spoke and > to their other religion (Calvinist and not Lutheran). Thus, these new > settlers intermarried in the above 7 villages. I was especially interested, since one of my relative branches is Welschhans. My first thought was that the name was a combination of Welsh (immigrants from Wales) and Hans (the German name). What does the adjective "welsches" mean? I don't have my German dictionary here, but I think I remember a German word meaning "those" (as "dieses" would mean "these"). I don't understand the connection to French speakers and the word "welsches."I join Justin in thanking you and everyone for your transcriptions and historical information. Lucy