Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). By surface analysis, bean + sí.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bʲanˠ ʃiː/, /bʲan̪ˠ ʃiː/
Noun
bean sí f (genitive singular mná sí, nominative plural mná sí)
- 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