Hi all,This word was mentioned yesterday on Real Radio here in Wales and they pretty much came up with the same translations as already mentioned above.I can remember as a small child my Grandparents using this word a lot. They would say things like 'Mewn d' cwtch' to the cat when they wanted it to settle down - referring to the cats basket, a literal translation would be 'into your basket' and depending on how sternly it was said could also be interpreted as 'get into your basket now or else!!'.They would also say things like 'cwtcho mewn fynar' to me when I was going to bed of a night, meaning 'you cuddle up in there'. Again the under stair cupboard I can also remember being referred to as 'cwtch dan star' and also the 'cwtch glo' - the coal shed. There was also 'cwtch y gegin' which meant the larder in the kitchen. There is also a pub near us that has a 'cwtch' although they have spelt it cwtsh and it is a very small room with enough space for a table and a few chairs.If I can remember any more uses I will add them as and when they come back to me. Cwtch really is a lovely word and this forum post has brought back some great memories - Thanks for starting it Emyr.

I always thought Cwtch was a South Walian word. It's not used much up in the North. I thought it meant a kiss. But I can't be sure!

Chi yn gywyr CWTSH ffordd iawn i sillafu y gair

And it's in the OED as both a noun and a verb; the entry for the verb lists a further meaning (though the usage still seems fairly restricted to Wales):1921 J. A. BRADNEY in Archologia Cambrensis 7th Ser. 1 146 Used only in English; a man orders his dog to go cwtsh in the corner. 1992 Times (Nexis) 28 Feb., You can also say, cwch down as in cwch down and sleep now. 2001 Western Mail (Nexis) 25 Sept. 13 Dogs are sometimes told to go and cwtch.Interesting to note the change in spelling as it moves from Welsh (with an "s(h)") to English (with a "ch"). A shame though that the OED gives little help with the etymology.

It is also now in the concise Oxford Dictionary of English, cwtch now seems to have crossed Clawdd offa

1. "cwts(h)": a cuddle, a hug, etc., as Euros Childs sings on the Bore Da album:Mae pawb yn y bydar ddiwedd y dyddyn hoffi cwtsh2. "cwts(h)-dan-str", the cupboard under the stairs

There's also the coal cwtch; a place where coal was kept for domestic use. It was usually 'out the back'.

No one else has stepped out into the line of fire so I will - it means a sheltering or safe, loving embrace? Like a cuddle? Like I give my kids a cwtch or a cwtch from my sweetheart at the end of the day or when things are rough.

How many of you are familiar with the welsh word Cwtch and what does it means to you?
updated by @emyr: 12/12/15 11:23:04AM