I . Welsh
n [ U ]
the ancient Celtic language of Wales. It is still spoken today as their first language by about 20% of the population of Wales, mainly in the north and west of the country. Groups like the Welsh Language Society and the Welsh Language Board encourage its use. Welsh and English are the official languages of the Welsh Assembly and its laws are written in both languages. Welsh is the first language in many schools in Wales and is taught in most. Road signs, etc. in Wales are in both Welsh and English. There are also programmes in Welsh on the Welsh radio station, Radio Cymru, and on the television station S4C .
II . Irvine Welsh
(1961– )
a Scottish writer best known for his novel Trainspotting (1993) written in the Edinburgh dialect about a group of heroin addicts. It was made into a film (1996) with Ewan McGregor. His other books include The Acid House (1993), Filth (1998) and Porno (2002).