Shelta

[ shel-tuh ]

noun
  1. a private language, based in part on Irish, used among Travelers in the British Isles.

Origin of Shelta

1
First recorded in 1875–80; origin uncertain

Words Nearby Shelta

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How to use Shelta in a sentence

  • Shelta is perhaps the last Old British dialect as yet existing which has thus far remained undiscovered.

    The Gypsies | Charles G. Leland
  • This language, or jargon, known as Shelta, has been the subject of much learned writing.

    The Gypsy's Parson | George Hall
  • Our informant could give only a single specimen of the Shelta literature.

    The Gypsies | Charles G. Leland
  • Me tu sosti, “Thou shalt be (of) me,” is Romany, which is freely used in Shelta.

    The Gypsies | Charles G. Leland

British Dictionary definitions for Shelta

Shelta

/ (ˈʃɛltə) /


noun
  1. a secret language used by some itinerant tinkers in Ireland and parts of Britain, based on systematically altered Gaelic

Origin of Shelta

1
C19: from earlier sheldrū, perhaps an arbitrary alteration of Old Irish bēlre speech

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012