Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shelta

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
shelta
IPA
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

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.

Etymology

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

Origin

Word Breakdown

Phrases

Wiktionary’s coverage of Shelta terms

Frequently Paired Words

Wiktionary’s coverage of Shelta terms

Synonyms

cant Sheldru Shelru

Questions

What does shelta mean?
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.
Where does shelta come from?
It is traced to Irish.

How to pronounce shelta

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shelta”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “shelta”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “shelta” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.