Word of the Week

A Little Welsh Word That Means a Lot



For this week’s word of the week we have decided to take a little diversion away from the English language, and, instead have chosen a word from the Welsh language.  The reason for this is that we all love this word and hope to see it adopted into common usage by all English speaking nations, and anyone else who would like to use it, all across the world. If we can do just a little to promote its usage we will be extremely happy.

For those of you who know Wales, you will recognise it as a beautiful green country, and the Welsh people as welcoming and warm.  It could only be from a country like this that such a word could originate.  Okay, you need wait no longer - the word of the week this week is cwtch pronounced coo- (as in cooker) – tch.  Although from the Welsh language, this is a word used all across Wales by both English and Welsh speakers with no equivalent word in English.

So what does it mean?  Well a cwtch is like a cuddle but far more, it is the best cuddle you have ever had!  When you are cwtched you are warm, happy, safe and secure –nothing can hurt you.  You can cuddle a work colleague or neighbour who is distressed but you can only cwtch someone you really love and care for.  There are a couple of exceptions to this – you can cwtch babies as soon as you meet them (with their parents blessing of course), and possibly kittens, puppies and other small animals, but generally cwtches are reserved for those special people in your life.

Cwtch can also be used as a verb as in “I am all cwtched up in bed, reading my book”.  This is not just saying that you are in bed reading, but that you are warm, comfortable and happy.  We actually have a room in our house called the Cwtch.  It is a small room with a log burner, comfortable sofa and television. In the cold weather when we come home of an evening, we light the fire, pour a glass of wine or make a mug of hot chocolate and we are “cwtched” up for the night”.

Yet another use of this word is to describe a small, dark place, like the cupboard under the stairs.  This is the sort of cwtchie little place that a cat may choose to have her kittens. 

I hope by now you can see why we all love this little Welsh word, and wouldn’t the world be better with more cwtches – one thing is for certain, you can never have too many!  So on this cold and dreary Friday afternoon, for all of you just finishing work for the week I suggest you go home and get all cwtched up to start your weekend in the best possible way!