Words are deeply fascinating, and some more than most. One such word is ‘cwtch’. If ‘cwtch’ looks a little strange to you then, fear not, this is not without good reason. For ‘cwtch’ is not a word that originated on English soil. In fact, it is a Welsh word that has only recently been adopted into English dictionaries, having been embraced by many English speakers over the last century. 'Embraced' is the appropriate word, for a ‘cwtch’ is - among other things - a hug! To give someone a cwtch is to give them a cuddle, or something that might be more accurately translated as a ‘small safe place’.
It seems somewhat appropriate that a word of such a beautiful appearance (how many other 5 letter words can you think of without a vowel or Y?) should be the bearer of such a wonderful meaning!
To find out more about this word, you can listen to this recording, or read this BBC news report. 'Cwtched', 'cwtches' and 'cwtching' are all words (in SOWPODS) too. If you have ever played any or all of these words in Scrabble or Boggle, please share your experience with us in the comments below!
3 comments:
Great to see more Welsh words in sowpods. Cwtch is a word I use quite regularly, there's nothing quite like it, it's better than a hug!
There's a lot more lovely words, one of my favourite being Hiraeth (Hir-eye-th) which has no direct translation but roughly means a deep yearning or longing for the homeland. Maybe that'll make it into sowpods one day.
Lauren
I actually finally got to play the word yesterday. HWYL is another good Welsh SOWPODS word.
I didn't realise Hwyl was valid, I've never heard it used outside Wales. But good work on Cwtch :)
Lauren
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