Where does “banshee” come from?
Banshee comes from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde, combining Old Irish ben "woman" from Proto-Celtic benā from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂-.
banshee (English): A female spirit, usually taking the form of a...
Definitions
- A female spirit, usually taking the form of a...
Ancestry of “banshee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Irish | bean sí | banshee, fairy woman |
| 2 | Old Irish | ben síde | banshee, fairy woman |
| 3 | Old Irish | ben | woman; wife; third-person singular present... |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | benā | woman |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |
Words derived from “banshee”