Welk
Welk appears in Southern/Appalachian speech as a folk form for welt. It also overlaps with older English whelk meaning "pimple/blister," which some speakers shorten to welk.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Growin' up, I heard a welt being called a 'welk' - especially by my Dad's side of the family. So there are pockets of this one regionally. Hillbilly Dude Says...
Growin' up, I heard a welt being called a 'welk' - especially by my Dad's side of the family. So there are pockets of this one regionally. Pronunciation
[WELK]
/wɛlk/
/wɛlk/
Meaning & Usage
- Raised Bump or Weal (noun; dialectal)
Estel:
Got three welks where them briars caught me.
Got three welks where them briars caught me.
Elmer:
Clean it and you’ll be fine.
Clean it and you’ll be fine.★ Don’t confuse welk with the sea snail whelk. In dialect, folks may say welk for a skin bump; formal writing prefers welt (for a raised mark) or whelk (for "pimple/pustule"). ★
Origin and Etymology
Blends two lines: (1) dialectal substitution of welk for standard welt; (2) older English whelk "pimple/pustule," sometimes pronounced or written as welk.
Usage Notes
Heard in Southern/Appalachian speech; rare in edited prose. Use welt for standard sense; record welk/whelk when reflecting authentic local talk.
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How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 11). Welk. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/welk
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Welk." HillbillySlang.com, 11 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/welk.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Welk." HillbillySlang.com. October 11, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/welk.
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