banshee
UK[bænˈʃiː]US[ˈbænʃiː]
n
a female spirit in irish folklore whose wailing is believed to warn of an impending death in a family.
Etymology
the word 'banshee' entered english in the late 17th century from the irish gaelic 'bean sí', which literally means 'woman of the fairy mound' or 'fairy woman'. the irish 'bean' derives from the proto-celtic 'benā', meaning 'woman', and 'sí' is the genitive form of 'síd', meaning 'fairy mound' or 'peace'. this term reflects the deep celtic mythological tradition of otherworldly female spirits associated with specific families. the anglicized spelling 'banshee' and its associated lore of a wailing harbinger of death became a fixed part of english vocabulary through the cultural exchange and literary depiction of irish folklore.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from irish gaelic. it is not productively formed from separate morphemes within modern english spelling and therefore is treated as a simplex form.
Examples
the old tale spoke of a banshee whose mournful cry could be heard the night before a clan member died.
in the movie, the sound of the wind was used to mimic the eerie wail of a banshee.
she described the unearthly scream as something straight out of a banshee story.