Welsh love spoons are traditional tokens of love and affection, which were once carved by young men as a gift for a prospective love match. They would often carve a special symbol into the handle, such as a heart or cross. Additionally, they may have inscribed a term of endearment into the spoon.

They may have used some Welsh words that are commonly used to express love, affection, and devotion. Here are a few charming Welsh words to know!

Cariad- This means ‘Love.’

This is a favourite Welsh term of endearment, which descends from the Latin “Caritas” (Virtue). This evolved into the word ‘Charity’ in English and ‘Love’ in Welsh. Variations include “Cariad bach” (little darling) and “Cariad aur” (precious darling).

If you want to say ‘I love you’ in Welsh you could use: ‘Dw i’n dy garu di.’ A more informal version is ‘Rwy’n dy garu di’. However, the Welsh language has a lot of regional variation, so it may differ depending on which area of Wales the speaker is from.

Calon- This means ‘heart’.

Even non-Welsh speakers might recognise this word from the rousing Welsh anthem ‘Calon Lân’ (A Pure Heart) which is mandatory to sing at the national Rugby matches! The song was originally written as a hymn in the 1890s by Daniel James, and is all about the Christian virtues of a strong and pure heart, which is not tainted by greed.

Ti a Fi Am Byth- This means ‘You and me forever.’

This needs no explanation! You might recognise the sentence structure from the popular Welsh phrase ‘Cymru am Byth’ (Wales Forever, or Long Live Wales) which is often printed on Welsh gifts.

Finally, no mention of Welsh terms of endearment could pass without the perfect word ‘Cwtch’ which means cuddle in Welsh!