Rob's Blog
The etymology of kotching
28th Sep 2007 10:09
On the way to see David and Gemma's church in Whitebrook this week Ange introduced me to the Welsh word “cwtch” (pronounced 'kutch') which roughly translates as “a safe place” and is commonly used to mean either affectionate hugs or a cupboard under the stairs.
Apparently the word has it's origins in the same Middle English word that “couch” derives from. But the thing that really jumped out at me was hearing that one common use of “cwtch” is to say “the dog is cwtch in by the fire” meaning the dog is lazing in front of the fire.
It's not a word I've used since I moved from London, but surely “cwtch in” is the etymological root of “kotching”... hanging out with your mates in a safe place and lazing around? “Kotching”, or “having a kotch”, definitely seems to carry the same meaning of being in a safe place as "cwtch in" and "having a cwtch".
