welsh

[welsh, welch] /wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ/
verb (used without object), Informal: Sometimes Offensive.
1.
to cheat by failing to pay a gambling debt:
You aren't going to welsh on me, are you?
2.
to go back on one's word:
He welshed on his promise to help in the campaign.
Also, welch.
Origin
1855-60; perhaps special use of Welsh
Related forms
welsher, noun
Usage note
Use of this verb is sometimes perceived as insulting to or by the Welsh, the people of Wales. However, its actual origin may have nothing to do with Wales or its people; in fact, the verb is also spelled welch.

Welsh

[welsh, welch] /wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ/
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to Wales, its people, or their language.
noun
2.
the inhabitants of Wales and their descendants elsewhere.
3.
Also called Cymric, Kymric. the Celtic language of Wales.
4.
one of a white, lop-eared breed of swine of Welsh origin that produces a large amount of lean meat.
Also, Welch.
Origin
before 900; Middle English Welische, Old English Welisc, derivative of Walh Briton, foreigner (compare Latin Volcae a Gallic tribe); cognate with German welsch foreign, Italian
Related forms
non-Welsh, adjective, noun
Can be confused
welch, Welsh.
Examples from the web for welsh
  • His ashes were scattered over the welsh mountains later that year.
  • The services in the majority of the chapels were in the welsh language.
  • Cardigan is predominantly a welsh language speaking community.
  • The cardigan welsh corgi derives its name from cardiganshire.
  • In the early medieval period, welsh writers composed the mabinogion.
British Dictionary definitions for welsh

welsh

/wɛlʃ/
verb (slang) (intransitive) often foll by on
1.
to fail to pay a gambling debt
2.
to fail to fulfil an obligation
Derived Forms
welsher, welcher, noun
Word Origin
C19: of unknown origin

Welsh1

/wɛlʃ/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of Wales, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
noun
2.
a language of Wales, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family. Welsh shows considerable diversity between dialects
3.
(functioning as pl) the Welsh, the natives or inhabitants of Wales collectively
Also (rare) Welch
Word Origin
Old English Wēlisc, Wǣlisc; related to wealh foreigner, Old High German walahisc (German welsch), Old Norse valskr, Latin Volcae

Welsh2

/wɛlʃ/
noun
1.
a white long-bodied lop-eared breed of pig, kept chiefly for bacon
Word Origin and History for welsh

Welsh

Old English Wilisc, Wylisc (West Saxon), Welisc, Wælisc (Anglian and Kentish), from Wealh, Walh "Celt, Briton, Welshman, non-Germanic foreigner;" in Tolkien's definition, "common Gmc. name for a man of what we should call Celtic speech," but also applied to speakers of Latin, hence Old High German Walh, Walah "Celt, Roman, Gaulish," and Old Norse Valir "Gauls, Frenchmen" (Danish vælsk "Italian, French, southern"); from Proto-Germanic *Walkhiskaz, from a Celtic name represented by Latin Volcæ (Caesar) "ancient Celtic tribe in southern Gaul." The word survives in Wales, Cornwall, Walloon, walnut, and in surnames Walsh and Wallace. Borrowed in Old Church Slavonic as vlachu, and applied to the Rumanians, hence Wallachia.

Among the English, Welsh was used disparagingly of inferior or substitute things, hence Welsh rabbit (1725), also perverted by folk-etymology as Welsh rarebit (1785).

Slang definitions & phrases for welsh

welsh

noun

: Link can't take a welsh, so he looks around for a way to get his dough

verb

To default on or evade an obligation, esp paying a gambling debt: Say, are you going to welsh on me?/ Some American officials feel that the Syrians welshed on their promise (1857+)

[apparently fr the same bigoted stereotype of the Welsh reflected in the English nursery rhyme ''Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,'' although perhaps a borrowing of German Welsch, ''foreigner'']