Shelta

S1H4E1L1T1A1

proper noun

A language spoken by some Irish Travellers, particularly in Ireland, but also in Britain, which has been heavily influenced by English and Irish and is now effectively a cant or creole, though some scholars think it may have originated as and may retain elements of a non-Irish, non-English language.

Similar
cantSheldruShelru
OriginIrish siúl →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. IrelandA language spoken by some Irish Travellers, particularly in Ireland, but also in Britain, which has been heavily influenced by English and Irish and is now effectively a cant or creole, though some scholars think it may have originated as and may retain elements of a non-Irish, non-English language.

    Synonyms: cant, Sheldru, Shelru

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA language spoken by some Irish Travellers, particularly in Ireland, but also in Britain, which has been heavily influenced by English and Irish and is now effectively a cant or creole, though some scholars think it may have originated as and may retain elements of a non-Irish, non-English language.

Similar
cantSheldruShelru

Origin

  1. Irishsiúl
  2. EnglishShelta

Uncertain. Some theories include words derived from the Irish word Irish siúl (walk), or a corruption of the word Celt.

More words from Irish

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

ThaleshasletStahleLesathLhatse
Cite this entry
APA

Shelta. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelta

MLA

“Shelta.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelta. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shelta,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelta.

Source: Shelta on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.