bean sí

Irish

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bean sí

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Alternative forms

• bean sídhe (obsolete)

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)

1. banshee, fairy woman

Declension

Bare forms Case 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 Case 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; don mhnaoi shí (archaic or dialectal) leis na mná sí leis na mnáibh sí (archaic)

Declension of bean sí

Irregular

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

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bean sí	bhean sí	mbean sí
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “bean”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “sí”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN