A member of the Guelph faction, a medieval Italian political and military faction that supported papal authority against imperial power.
From Italian 'Guelfo,' derived from the Welf dynasty (German: 'Welf'), a noble house that became associated with papal supporters in Italian politics during the 12th-14th centuries.
The word 'Guelph' lives on in the name of a Canadian city, Guelph, Ontario—named after the Italian medieval city because 19th-century settlers thought it sounded prestigious, showing how medieval feuds became place names across the world.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.