Meanings
- datedoffensivesometimesuncountableEither of the Gaelic languages of Ireland and Scotland.
Now he's just sung in his mother tongue, the ancient Irish Erse, and cleared the pub completely by the forty-second verse!
1993, “Plastic Paddy”, in Mirrors, performed by Eric Bogle1 more example
Two points which appeal to the writer are that the stations of origin and of destination are printed (in Erse and English) once only and then are summarised at the foot, [...]. [...] Clar Chloinne Mhuiris is the Erse original of Claremorris, and Dublin appears as Baile Atha Cliath.
1940 May, G. W. J. Potter, “Tickets of the Great Southern Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 292
- datednot comparableoffensivesometimesConnected with Ireland or the Highlands of Scotland, or to the Gaelic languages spoken in those places.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounany of several related languages of the Celts in Ireland and Scotland
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle EnglishErische
- ScotsErse“Irish”
- EnglishErse
From Scots Erse (“Irish”), from earlier Ersche, Ersch, a contraction of Erisch, Erische (“Irish”), from Middle English Erische, Irische, Irisch (“Irish”). Doublet of Irish. Compare also Scots Irisch.
More words from Scots, Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Erse
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Erse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Erse
“Erse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Erse. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Erse,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Erse.
Source: Erse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.