silesia
UK /saɪˈliːziə/ · US /saɪˈliʒə/ noun, proper noun
Forms silesias
- noun Silesian textile made of flax or cotton.
- proper noun A cultural region of Central Europe, now chiefly in Poland, with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany, from early modernity until 1945 predominantly German-speaking with Slavic-speaking minorities (and local majorities).
Synonyms
Etymology
Uncertain. Two theories are prominent: a relation to the Germanic Silingi tribe, whose name is attested in Ancient Greek Σιλίγγαι (Silíngai). Or, from Old Polish ślęg, śląg meaning "dampness, humidity, moisture." More at Ślęża and Silesia.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “silesia”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details