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Shelta

[ shel-tuh ]
/ ˈʃɛl tə /
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noun
a private language, based in part on Irish, used among Travelers in the British Isles.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
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Origin of Shelta

First recorded in 1875–80; origin uncertain

Words nearby Shelta

shell star, shell steak, shell suit, shellwork, shelly, Shelta, shelter, shelter belt, shelter deck, sheltered, sheltered housing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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

Word Origin for Shelta

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
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