Forms: see WELSH (also 4 Welss-, Weliss-, 6 Wealch, Welsch; 4 Walss-, Walis-, Walesch, 5 Wallissh-, 6 Walls-), and MAN sb. [f. WELSH a. + MAN sb.]
1. † a. A native Briton. Obs. b. A native of Wales.
In the early examples the adj. and noun are still separate words.
α. 688–95. Laws Ine, § 32. Ʒif Wilisc mon hæbbe hide londes, his wer bið cxx scill.
c. 1000. Ags. Laws, Dunsetas, § 6. Nah naðer to farenne ne Wilisc man on Ænglisc land ne Ænglisc on Wylisc ðe ma, butan gesettan landmen.
c. 1100. O. E. Chron. (MS. C), an. 1053. Eac Wylsce menn ʓeslogan mycelne dæl Englisces folces.
β. c. 1205. Lay., 2120. Þat Cambrie wes ihaten þat is þat wilde lond þat Welsce [c. 1275 Walse] men luuieð.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 5140. Here we englisse men mowe yse some, Mid woche riȝte we beþ to þis lond ycome; Ac þe wrecche welissemen beþ of þe olde more.
1513. Life Hen. V. (1911), 9. Manie Welshmen, and … the greater parte of all Wales, were confederate wth these rebbells.
1579. Fulke, Reful. Rastel, 764. The Welshmen that vnderstand not english, haue their common praier in their Welshe tongue.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 477. You cannot guesse wherefore the Welchman comes.
1598. Bastard, Chrestol., III. xxxiii. 72. A Wealch and English man meete on the way.
1607. Dekker & Webster, Northw. Hoe, I. B 4, The Northerne man loues white-meates,… the Welshman Leekes and Cheese.
1663–4. Pepys, Diary, 22 Feb. The Duke of Monmouth’s mother’s brother … being a Welchman.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxxviii. (1787), III. 625, note. The malicious Welshman [= Giraldus Cambrensis] insinuates, that [etc.].
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, II. 250/2. The men … are about three-fifths Irishmen, a fifth Welchmen,… and the remainder Englishmen.
1882. Rhys, Celtic Britain, 145. The northern portion … is spoken of in the Saxon Chronicle as that of the Strathclyde Welshmen.
γ. c. 1205. Lay., 2124 For þan duke Gualun Wælsce [c. 1275 Walse] men me heom hateð.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1725), 35. Edgar … went to Kerlion, þe Walsch men he band Witli homage & feaute.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, II. 35. In Seint Edward his tyme Walsche men schulde not passe þat diche wiþ wepoun vppon a grete payne.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 93. He commandede … alle þe Britones … To ben y-cleped Wallisshemen. Ibid., 96. Saxsones clepud hom … Walshemen.
1473. Warkw., Chron. (Camden), 6. Ther was the Erle of Pembroke takene … and two Ml. Walschmenne slayne.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, II. 510. Whiche kynge expulsed … All brutes and walshemen clere out of his londe.
1565. Stapleton, Fortr. Faith, 132 b. Inhabited by the olde Britons and walsh men.
2. U.S. A name applied locally to the black bass (Micropterus) and other fishes.
1714. J. Lawson, Hist. Carolina, 159. The brown Pearch, which some call Welch-men, are the largest sort of Pearches that we have.
1884. Century Mag., April, 908/1. A black bass … becomes … a ‘welshman’ in North Carolina.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 55. On the Tar River of North Carolina, it [the Black Bass] is called ‘Chubb,’ and on the Neuse, ‘Welshman.’
3. Possessive combinations. Welshman’s button = hazel-fly HAZEL1 4 c. † Welshman’s hose, in phrases like to make a Welshman’s hose of, to make like a Welshman’s hose, to stretch or wrest the meaning of (a word, sentence, etc.); cf. shipman’s hose SHIPMAN 3 b. Welshman’s hug (see quot.)
1787. Best, Angling (ed. 2), 117. The *Welchman’s Button or Hasle comes on about the latter end of July.
1880. F. Francis, Angling, vi. (ed. 5), 230. The Welshman’s Button; where it is found, it is a capital fly.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 1239. And after conueyauns as the world goos, It is no foly to vse the *Walshemannys hoos. Ibid. (a. 1529), Col. Cloute, 780. A thousand thousande other, That … make a Walshmans hose of the texte and of the glose.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Robt. Tresilian, xi. And wurds that wer most plaine whan thei by vs wer skande, We turned by construction lyke a welchmans hose.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 737. Of omnigatherine now his glose: He maid it lyk a Wealchman hose: Tempora mutantur was his text.
1886. W. Somerset Word-bk., Scotch-Fiddle. 2. The itch, more commonly called the *Welshman’s hug.
