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.