adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to Wales.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Walian
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
Welsh
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Wales: /ˈwɛlʃ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈwelʃ/
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rhymes with -ɛlʃ
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UK: /wɛlʃ/
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homophone: Welsh
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CMU ARPABET: W EH1 L CH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: W EH1 L SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Of or pertaining to the Celtic language of Wales.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Designating plants or animals from or associated with Wales.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Indigenously British; pertaining to the Celtic peoples who inhabited much of Britain before the Roman occupation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Foreign.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 6
The Welsh language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 7
An English and Scottish surname transferred from the nickname for someone who was a Welshman or a Celt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 8
An Irish surname, a variant of Walsh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 9
A town in Louisiana, United States, named for early landowner Henry Welsh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 10
An unincorporated community in Ohio, United States, named for an early settler.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
The people of Wales.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: collective, countable, in-plural, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A breed of pig, kept mainly for bacon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To cheat or swindle someone, often by not paying a debt, especially a gambling debt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, offensive, sometimes, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To go back on one's word.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, offensive, sometimes, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 15
of or relating to or characteristic of Wales or its people or their language
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the Welsh coast
- Welsh syntax
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Cambrian
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 16
a breed of dual-purpose cattle developed in Wales
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Welsh Black
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cattle, cows, kine, oxen, Bos taurus
noun
Meaning 17
a Celtic language of Wales
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Cymric
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Brythonic, Brittanic
noun
Meaning 18
a native or resident of Wales
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Welshman, Cambrian, Cymry
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: European
verb
Meaning 19
cheat by avoiding payment of a gambling debt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: welch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cheat, rip off, chisel
History
Etymology
From Middle English Walsch, Welische, from Anglian Old English wǣlisċ (“Briton; Roman; Celt”), from Proto-West Germanic *walhisk, from Proto-Germanic *walhiskaz (“Celt; later Roman”) (thus cognate with German welsch, Dutch Waals, Danish vælsk, Old Norse valskr), 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.
Inherited from Old English welise (“foreign”).
Sometimes held to derive from disparaging stereotypes about the Welsh, though firm evidence of this derivation is lacking. Compare gyp (“swindle”), probably from Gypsy, and jew (“defraud”), from Jew.
Across languages
Translations
212 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Asturian: galés — of or pertaining to Wales
- Asturian: cámbricu — of or pertaining to Wales
- Basque: galestar — of or pertaining to Wales
- Bulgarian: уелски (uelski) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Catalan: gal·lès — of or pertaining to Wales
- Catalan: gal·lesa — of or pertaining to Wales
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾士的 /威尔士的 (Wēi'ěrshì de) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾斯的 /威尔斯的 (Wēi'ěrsī de) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Cornish: kembrek — of or pertaining to Wales
- Czech: velšský — of or pertaining to Wales
- Danish: walisisk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Dutch: Welsh — of or pertaining to Wales
- Dutch: Wels — of or pertaining to Wales
- Esperanto: kimra — of or pertaining to Wales
- Estonian: Walesi — of or pertaining to Wales
- Estonian: kõmri — of or pertaining to Wales
- Finnish: walesilainen — of or pertaining to Wales
- Finnish: Walesin — of or pertaining to Wales
- French: gallois — of or pertaining to Wales
- Galician: galés — of or pertaining to Wales
- Georgian: უელსური (uelsuri) — of or pertaining to Wales
- German: walisisch — of or pertaining to Wales
- Hebrew: ולשי (wélshi) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Hungarian: walesi — of or pertaining to Wales
- Hungarian: velszi — of or pertaining to Wales
- Irish: Breatnach — of or pertaining to Wales
- Italian: gallese — of or pertaining to Wales
- Latin: wallicus — of or pertaining to Wales
- Latin: cambriānus — of or pertaining to Wales
- Latin: cambricus — of or pertaining to Wales
- Macedonian: ве́лшки (vélški) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Manx: Bretnagh — of or pertaining to Wales
- Marathi: वेल्श (velśa) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Norwegian Bokmål: walisisk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Norwegian Bokmål: bretsk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Norwegian Nynorsk: walisisk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Polish: walijski — of or pertaining to Wales
- Portuguese: galês — of or pertaining to Wales
- Portuguese: galesa — of or pertaining to Wales
- Romanian: galez — of or pertaining to Wales
- Russian: валли́йский (vallíjskij) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Russian: уэ́льский (uélʹskij) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Scottish Gaelic: Cuimreach — of or pertaining to Wales
- Spanish: galés — of or pertaining to Wales
- Swedish: walesisk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Swedish: kymrisk — of or pertaining to Wales
- Tagalog: Gales — of or pertaining to Wales
- Ukrainian: валлі́йський (vallíjsʹkyj) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Ukrainian: уе́льський (uélʹsʹkyj) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Ukrainian: ве́льський (vélʹsʹkyj) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Urdu: ویلش (vailś) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Welsh: Cymreig — of or pertaining to Wales
- Yiddish: וועלש (velsh) — of or pertaining to Wales
- Armenian: վալլիերեն (vallieren) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Asturian: galés — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Asturian: cámbricu — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Basque: galestar — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Catalan: gal·lès — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Catalan: gal·lesa — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾士語的 /威尔士语的 (Wēi'ěrshìyǔ de) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾斯語的 /威尔斯语的 — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Chinese Mandarin: 威尔士语的 (Wēi'ěrsìyǔ de) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Cornish: kembrek — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Czech: velšský — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Danish: walisisk — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Dutch: Welsh — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Dutch: Wels — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Esperanto: kimra — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Estonian: kõmri — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Finnish: walesinkielinen — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Finnish: kymrinkielinen — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- French: gallois — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Galician: galés — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Georgian: უელსური (uelsuri) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- German: walisisch — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Hebrew: ולשי (wélshi) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Hungarian: walesi — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Hungarian: velszi — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Macedonian: ве́лшки (vélški) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Nepali: वेल्स (velsa) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Norwegian Bokmål: walisisk — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Norwegian Nynorsk: walisisk — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Polish: walijski — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Portuguese: galês — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Portuguese: galesa — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Romanian: galez — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Russian: валли́йский (vallíjskij) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Scottish Gaelic: Cuimreach — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Spanish: galés — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Swedish: walesisk — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Swedish: kymrisk — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Tagalog: Gales — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Urdu: کمری (kamrī) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Urdu: ویلش (vailś) — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- Welsh: Cymraeg — of or pertaining to the Welsh language
- French: gallois — designating plants, animals, etc. from or associated with Wales
- Armenian: ուելսերեն (uelseren) — language
- Armenian: վալլիերեն (vallieren) — language
- Armenian: կիմրերեն (kimreren) — language
- Azerbaijani: Valli dili — language
- Basque: galesera — language
- Belarusian: валі́йская мо́ва (valíjskaja móva) — language
- Belarusian: валі́йская (valíjskaja) — language
- Breton: kembraeg — language
- Catalan: gal·lès — language
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾士語 /威尔士语 (Wēi'ěrshìyǔ) — language
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾斯語 /威尔斯语 (Wēi'ěrsīyǔ) — language
- Cornish: Kembrek — language
- Czech: velština — language
- Czech: kymerština — language
- Czech: kymričtina — language
- Czech: waleština — language
- Danish: walisisk — language
- Dutch: Welsh — language
- Dutch: Wels — language
- Dutch: Kymrisch — language
- Esperanto: kimra lingvo — language
- Estonian: kõmri keel — language
- Faroese: walisiskt — language
- Faroese: kymriskt — language
- Faroese: bretskt — language
- Finnish: wales — language
- Finnish: walesin kieli — language
- Finnish: kymri — language
- Finnish: kymrin kieli — language
- French: gallois — language
- Galician: galés — language
- Georgian: უელსური ენა (uelsuri ena) — language
- Georgian: უელსური (uelsuri) — language
- German: Walisisch — language
- German: Kymrisch — language
- Hebrew: ולשית (wélshit) — language
- Hungarian: walesi — language
- Hungarian: velszi — language
- Irish: Breatnais — language
- Old Irish: Bretnas — language
- Old Irish: combrec (c) — language
- Japanese: ウェールズ語 (Wēruzugo) — language
- Japanese: カムリ語 (Kamurigo) — language
- Korean: 웨일스어 (weilseueo) — language
- Low German: Waliesch — language
- Macedonian: ве́лшки (vélški) — language
- Manx: Bretnish — language
- Marathi: वेल्श (velśa) — language
- Norwegian Bokmål: walisisk — language
- Norwegian Bokmål: velsk — language
- Norwegian Bokmål: kymrisk — language
- Norwegian Nynorsk: walisisk — language
- Norwegian Nynorsk: velsk — language
- Norwegian Nynorsk: kymrisk — language
- Persian: ولزی (velzi) — language
- Polish: język walijski — language
- Portuguese: galês — language
- Romanian: galeză — language
- Russian: валли́йский (vallíjskij) — language
- Russian: валли́йский язы́к (vallíjskij jazýk) — language
- Russian: уэ́льский (uélʹskij) — language
- Scottish Gaelic: Cuimris — language
- Serbo-Croatian: velški — language
- Slovak: waleština — language
- Slovak: kymerčina — language
- Slovak: kymričtina — language
- Lower Sorbian: walizišćina — language
- Lower Sorbian: waliziska rěc — language
- Spanish: galés — language
- Swedish: kymriska — language
- Swedish: walesiska — language
- Swedish: välska — language
- Tajik: уэлсӣ (uelsi) — language
- Turkish: Galce — language
- Ukrainian: валі́йська (valíjsʹka) — language
- Welsh: Cymraeg — language
- Middle Welsh: Cymräec — language
- Middle Welsh: Kymraec — language
- Basque: galestar — collectively, people of Wales
- Catalan: gal·lesos — collectively, people of Wales
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾士人 /威尔士人 (Wēi'ěrshìrén) — collectively, people of Wales
- Chinese Mandarin: 威爾斯人 /威尔斯人 (Wēi'ěrsīrén) — collectively, people of Wales
- Cornish: Kembrion — collectively, people of Wales
- Czech: Velšané — collectively, people of Wales
- Danish: waliserne — collectively, people of Wales
- Dutch: Welsh — collectively, people of Wales
- Esperanto: kimroj — collectively, people of Wales
- Estonian: kõmrid — collectively, people of Wales
- Finnish: walesilaiset — collectively, people of Wales
- French: Gallois — collectively, people of Wales
- Georgian: უელსელები (uelselebi) — collectively, people of Wales
- German: Waliser — collectively, people of Wales
- Hebrew: ולשים (wélshim) — collectively, people of Wales
- Japanese: ウェールズ人 (Wēruzu-jin) — collectively, people of Wales
- Korean: 웨일스인 (weilseu'in) — collectively, people of Wales
- Korean: 웨일스 사람 (weilseu saram) — collectively, people of Wales
- Macedonian: Ве́лшани (Vélšani) — collectively, people of Wales
- Manx: Bretnee — collectively, people of Wales
- Marathi: वेल्श (velśa) — collectively, people of Wales
- Norwegian Bokmål: walisere — collectively, people of Wales
- Norwegian Nynorsk: walisarar — collectively, people of Wales
- Persian: ولزیها (velzi-hâ) — collectively, people of Wales
- Polish: Walijczycy — collectively, people of Wales
- Portuguese: galês — collectively, people of Wales
- Romanian: galezi — collectively, people of Wales
- Russian: валли́ец (vallíjec) — collectively, people of Wales
- Russian: валли́йка (vallíjka) — collectively, people of Wales
- Russian: валли́йцы (vallíjcy) — collectively, people of Wales
- Russian: уэ́льсцы (uélʹscy) — collectively, people of Wales
- Scottish Gaelic: na Cuimrich — collectively, people of Wales
- Slovak: Walešania — collectively, people of Wales
- Spanish: galeses — collectively, people of Wales
- Spanish: galesas — collectively, people of Wales
- Turkish: Galliler — collectively, people of Wales
- Ukrainian: валлійці (vallijci) — collectively, people of Wales
- Welsh: Cymry — collectively, people of Wales
Real reading context