bean sí

Irish

Alternative forms

  • bean sídhe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish ben síde (literally woman of the fairy mound). By surface analysis, bean +‎ .

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bʲanˠ ʃiː/, /bʲan̪ˠ ʃiː/

Noun

bean  f (genitive singular mná sí, nominative plural mná sí)

  1. banshee, fairy woman

Declension

Declension of bean sí (irregular)
bare forms
singular plural
nominative bean sí mná sí
vocative a bhean sí a mhná sí
genitive mná sí ban sí
dative bean sí
mnaoi shí (archaic or dialectal)
mná sí
mnáibh sí (archaic)
forms with the definite article
singular plural
nominative an bhean sí na mná sí
genitive na mná sí na mban sí
dative leis an mbean sí
don bhean sí
leis an mnaoi shí (archaic or dialectal)
don mhnaoi shí (archaic or dialectal)
leis na mná sí
leis na mnáibh sí (archaic)

Derived terms

  • coigeal na mban sí (reed-mace, cat’s tail)
  • líon na mban sí (fairy flax, purging flax)
  • lus na mban sí (foxglove)
  • méaracáin na mban sí (purple foxglove)

Descendants

  • English: banshee (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: banshee

Mutation

Mutated forms of bean sí
radical lenition eclipsis
bean sí bhean sí mbean sí

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading