/wɛlʃ/
OriginFrom Middle English Walsch, Welische, from Old English wīelisċ (“Briton; Roman; Celt”), from Proto-West Germanic *walhisk, from Proto-Germanic *walhiskaz (“Celt; later Roman”), from *walhaz (“Celt, Roman”) (compare Old English wealh), from the name of the Gaulish tribe, the Volcae (recorded only in Latin contexts).
This word was borrowed from Germanic into Slavic (compare Old Church Slavonic Влахъ (Vlaxŭ, “Vlachs, Romanians”), Byzantine Greek Βλάχος (Blákhos)).
Doublet of Vellish. Compare Walloon, walnut, Vlach, Walach, Gaul, Cornwall.
- not-comparableOf or pertaining to Wales.
- not-comparableOf or pertaining to the Celtic language of Wales.
- not-comparableDesignating plants or animals from or associated with Wales.
- historical, not-comparableIndigenously British; pertaining to the Celtic peoples who inhabited much of Britain before the Roman occupation.
“The Tudors, it was argued, were of Welsh or ancient British descent.”
- obsoleteForeign.
- uncountableThe Welsh language.
“9 minutes to 2. We just stopped to have our horses' mouths washed, and there all people spoke welsh.”
- collective, countable, in-plural, uncountableThe people of Wales.
- countable, uncountableA breed of pig, kept mainly for bacon.
- An English and Scottish surname transferred from the nickname for someone who was a Welshman or a Celt.
- An Irish surname, a variant of Walsh.
- A town in Louisiana, United States, named for early landowner Henry Welsh.
- An unincorporated community in Ohio, United States, named for an early settler.
FormsWelch(alternative, archaic) · Welsh(plural) · Welshes(plural) · more welsh(comparative) · most welsh(superlative) · welch(alternative) · Welsh(alternative)