Welsh Slang For Girl (Helpful Content!)

There are a few Welsh slang terms that may be used for girl, such as “lass” or “beaut”, or other more widespread terms like “babe” or “cutie”. Welsh language words such as “bodan” are often interspersed in and used by English speaking Welsh people. “Lass” is perhaps the most common and universal.

Wales is a country brimming with linguistic curiosities.

The language is one of only four living Celtic languages and it is probably the most widely used of all these remaining languages.

Though most of the country speaks English at least as a second language, the melding of these two languages has led to a lot of fascinating slang.

Let’s find out more.

What do the Welsh call a girl?

There are many different words that the Welsh might use to refer to a girl, so it’s worth pointing out right away that “girl” may simply be the main word of choice for a lot of people.

While there are many slang terms that are often used in its place, it’s important to be aware that this word is, of course, used in Wales too.

With that said, some of the most common slang words used in Wales for girl include typical terms like “lass” or “beaut”.

1. Lass

“Lass” is perhaps the most common of these two as it does not carry any specific connotations beyond that it’s a term you use to address a girl.

2. Beaut

“Beaut” is widely used but obviously implies more than just “girl”

This is one someone might use to try and sweet talk a girl, or perhaps by a father or family member as a term of endearment.

Both of these terms are widely used in Wales.

For many Welsh people, though, Welsh slang means using Welsh words.

While, from the point of view of Welsh itself, you might not strictly call these terms slang since they are mostly standard recognized words, the way they are integrated into both English and Welsh speaking makes slang out of them.

3. Bodan

“Bodan” is used as Welsh slang for girl very often.

This term can also have the sense of “sweetheart,” and so is often used by someone of their girlfriend or wife.

Beyond these terms, some broader English language slang terms are often used by the Welsh, too.

Just about any such slang term you can think of will be heard somewhere in Wales, but common choices include things like “babe” and “cutie”.

Let’s find out where these terms come from.

Why do the Welsh say “lass”?

The ultimate origin of the word “lass” is a subject of some debate.

Most agree it derives from a Scandinavian root, ultimately, though it cannot be agreed precisely which root word gave rise to it.

It’s thought to be akin to the Old Swedish losk kona meaning “unmarried woman”, though others relate it instead to the Old Norse loskr meaning “idle”.

In any case, we can see it was in use in English by around the 14^th Century.

It would take some time to make it to Wales, and was and still is much more heavily associated with Scotland than with Wales.

Nonetheless, by the time English was in wide use in Wales, this term seems to have been a common slang term for a girl.

Why do the Welsh say “beaut”?

Naturally, the term “beaut” is a shortened form of “beauty” in the noun sense of a beautiful person.

This is attested by 1866, and no doubt was in use in the vernacular long before that.

It’s widely used across the English speaking world today, and so naturally gets a lot of use in Wales.

It’s hard to say precisely when it started being used in Wales, but it is no doubt not long after it is first attested and maybe even long before.  

Why do the Welsh say “bodan”?

“Bodan,” as mentioned, is simply a Welsh word meaning a girl or a sweetheart.

It is most often used in the context of a romantic relationship, though not always.

Given the paucity of written Welsh sources, it can be difficult to trace the etymology of some words.

In any case, the English attempted to entirely stamp out the Welsh language from Wales, but were unsuccessful in doing so.

The language was side-lined but never entirely gotten rid of, and with recent revivals in its teaching, it is more alive than ever today—thus you get words like “bodan” in common use.

What else do the Welsh call girls?

Other than these terms, the Welsh may use just about any common English word for girls that is widely used. “Babe” is certainly a common one used by Welsh people, both the young and the old—it is not limited by generation.

“Hottie” is sometimes, though rarely, used by Welsh people—of course only in the context of romantic interest!

For the most part, though, Welsh people are most likely simply to use words like “lass” or “girl” itself.

So, whether it’s Welsh languages words thrown into English sentences or more broadly used English slang terms, the Welsh have plenty of ways to refer to a girl.

Wales is a fascinating and often overlooked country on the national stage, small and humble as it may be—but it’s packed with all the history and culture of a much larger nation.