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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Banshee” come from and What does Banshee mean in Gaelic?

Where does the word “Banshee” come from and What does Banshee mean in Gaelic?

April 20, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Gaelic is bean sidhe, “female fairy,” which, believe it or not, is transcribed phonetically as banshee in English.

The Standard Dictionary of Folklore (1949) describes her as, usually, a beautiful woman, though sometimes a hag, whose appearance, according to Irish folklore, foretells the death of someone close to one’s family.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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