List of English words of Welsh origin facts for kids

English words have come from many different languages around the world. This article explores words in the English language that originally came from the Welsh language. Sometimes, these words might also have come from other similar languages like Cornish or Breton, because they are all part of the same language family.

Besides common words, many English place names, family names, and first names also have Welsh roots.

Words We Use Often

Here are some words that are commonly used in English and likely came from Welsh:

bara brith

This means speckled bread. It's a traditional Welsh bread with tea, dried fruits, and spices.

bard

A bard was a poet or storyteller. This word comes from an old Celtic word, bardos. In Wales, bards were highly respected.

cawl

A traditional Welsh soup or stew. It's similar to the Cornish word kowl.

coracle

A small, light boat often made from leather or animal hide. The Welsh word corwgl comes from the Latin word corium, meaning "leather".

corgi

This popular dog breed's name comes from Welsh words. Cor means "dwarf" and gi (which is a changed form of ci) means "dog". So, it's a "dwarf dog"!

A Welsh Corgi

cwm

This word describes a specific type of valley, often shaped like a bowl. It's also found in Cornish as komm.

flannel

This soft fabric might come from the Welsh word gwlanen, which means "flannel wool". An older English word for it was flannen, which supports this idea.

flummery

A soft, jelly-like dessert. This word comes from the Welsh llymru.

pikelet

A small, thick pancake. It comes from the Welsh bara pyglyd, meaning "pitchy bread" (dark or sticky). The word spread to England and became picklets, then pikelets.

wrasse

A type of sea fish. Its name comes from the Cornish wrach or Welsh gwrach, which means "hag" or "witch".

Specialist Words

These words are often used in specific fields, like archaeology:

cist

In archaeology, this is a stone-lined coffin or box.

cromlech

From crom llech, meaning "crooked flat stone". It refers to a type of ancient stone monument.

crwth

A bowed string instrument, like a lyre, from Wales.

kistvaen

This word combines cist (chest) and maen (stone). It's another term for a stone-lined burial chest.

lech

This means a flat stone, often the capstone of a cromlech.

tref

Meaning "hamlet," "home," or "town." It's similar to the Cornish tre.

Words with Possible Welsh Links

It can be tricky to know the exact origin of some words. This is because many languages, like Latin, Old French, and other Celtic languages, share similar words. Here are some English words that might have a Welsh connection:

adder

This word for a snake might come from Welsh neidr, Cornish nader, or Breton naer. Many old European languages have similar words for snakes.

bow

The weapon used to shoot arrows. It might come from the Welsh word bwa. Welsh archers were very famous in history, especially during the Hundred Years War.

coombe

Meaning "valley." This word is often linked to the Welsh cwm, which also means "valley."

crockery

Dishes and pots. Some people think it comes from the Welsh crochan, meaning "pot." However, others believe it comes from an Old English word.

crumpet

A type of griddle cake. It might come from Welsh words like crempog or cramwyth, meaning "little hearth cakes."

druid

An ancient Celtic priest or wise person. The word comes from an Old Celtic term meaning "true knowledge." It traveled to English through Latin and French.

gull

This seabird's name might come from Welsh gwylan, Cornish guilan, or Breton goelann.

iron

The metal. The modern English word "iron" seems to have been influenced by older Celtic words in Britain, like Old Welsh haearn.

lawn

An area of grass. This word might come from Welsh Llan or Cornish Lan, which meant an enclosed area of land, often around a Christian site.

penguin

This flightless bird's name might come from Welsh pen gwyn, meaning "white head." This is surprising because penguins have black heads! But the name might have first been used for the great auk, which had white spots near its eyes.

Mither

This word means to bother or pester someone. It might come from the Welsh word "moedro," which has a similar meaning.

Words in Welsh English

Some Welsh words are used by people in Wales who speak English, even if they don't speak Welsh themselves. These words keep their original Welsh spelling:

The National Eisteddfod is a big cultural festival in Wales.

afon

This means "river."

awdl

A type of Welsh ode or poem.

bach

Literally meaning "small," but often used as a term of affection, like "dear."

cwm

A valley.

crwth

An old Welsh musical instrument.

cwrw

Welsh ale or beer.

cwtch

This word means a hug, a cuddle, a small cupboard, or a dog's bed.

cynghanedd

A unique and complex system of Welsh poetry.

eisteddfod

A large cultural festival in Wales that celebrates music, literature, and art. The word means "session" or "sitting."

• Urdd Eisteddfod: This is the youth Eisteddfod.

englyn

A short, traditional Welsh poem.

gorsedd

A gathering of bards and druids at an Eisteddfod.

hiraeth

A special Welsh word that describes a deep longing or homesickness, often mixed with sadness for something lost.

hwyl

A feeling of emotional enthusiasm or passion, especially in singing or speaking.

iechyd da

This means "cheers" or "good health."

mochyn

This means "pig."

nant

A stream or brook.

sglod, sglods

This refers to "chips" (like french fries).

twp/dwp

This means idiotic or daft.

ych â fi

An expression of disgust, like "ugh!"

See also

• Lists of English words of Celtic origin
  • List of English words of Brittonic origin
• Brittonicisms in English

Sources

• Oxford English Dictionary