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Meaning & History
From Medieval Latin Wallia, which was a Latinized form of English Wales. This is an archaic Welsh name for Wales; although never as widely used as Cymru, Gwalia was once popular as a poetic name for the country. The name originated in the Middle Ages and there are several instances of it in late medieval Welsh poetry, such as in Yr Awdl Fraith, a long poem attributed to Taliesin. It reemerged amongst Romantic writers in the 19th century. Gwalia has largely fallen out of use due to its Victorian associations.