bean sí

Irish

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
Declension of bean sí

Irregular

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)

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, banshi, banshie, benshee, benshi, benshie

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
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