Schlesien

Meaning

Silesia (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))

Concepts

Silesia

Translations

Silésie

Silezië

Silesia

سيليزيا

Σιλεσία

Silesia

Slesia

Silésia

Silezya

Silèsia

Silèsia

سِيلِيزْيَا

Silesia

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈʃleːzi̯ən/

Etymology

Uncertain
* Possibly related to the Germanic Silingi tribe, whose name derives from Ancient Greek Σιλίγγαι (Silíngai), itself possibly from Silesian for "swampy place."
* Or, from Old Polish ślęg, śląg, themselves cognate with the same Silesian source and meaning "dampness, humidity, moisture." More at Ślęża and Silesia.
The name occurs at least since the 16th century, where it's also Slesien, from Slesien (15th century), earlier Slezien (13th century).
In the 16th century, the name of this region also occurs as Schlesy f as in Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia (which has Presla and later Preßla for the capital Breslau) and as Schlesi f, this from Slesy f, Slesi f (15th century).