geis

See also: géis

English

Etymology 1

From Irish geis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛʃ

Noun

geis (plural geises or geasa)

1. Synonym of geas (“a mystical injunction: a prohibition, or obligation/compulsion”)
   • 1933, John Revell Reinhard, The Survival of Geis in Mediaeval Romance, page 58:

     [In] 36a we read that there was (19) a geis upon ships to leave the 'port' of Athens till someone had defeated Atalanta in a running race. The nature and function of the geis that lay upon objects appears to better advantage, however, in one of the stories about Ailill Dock-Ear.

   • 1985, Elliott B. Gose, Jr., The World of the Irish Wonder Tale: An Introduction to the Study of Fairy Tales, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN:

     'In some cases a geis is imposed by one man upon another, often by means of a successful exploit, as when Cu Chulainn lays a geis upon the Connachtmen, binding them not to pass the ford until someone has removed the branch which he has ...

   • 1995, Risa Aratyr, Hunter of the Light, HarperCollins, →ISBN:

     The púca scrunched up his face in puzzlement and rubbed his bald head. Glad he should be, his geis fulfilled and the Good God satisfied.

   • 2016, Yasmine Galenorn, Once Upon A Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales, Fiddlehead Press, →ISBN:

     “I place a geis upon you, my son,” I rasped, my eyes burning with impending wrath. I pressed my palm to his chest and conjured my symbol, the mark which tied a Faelorehn life to my service.

   • 2021, Alethea Kontis, et al., Once Upon A Wish: 16 Dreamy Faerie Tales, Fiddlehead Press (→ISBN):

     Before she died, she placed a geis upon me, that all the glamour I would ever be capable of possessing would gather in my hair. She did it so they wouldn't kill me, too, but because of that, I have never been free.

Etymology 2

Noun

geis

1. plural of gei

Anagrams

• IESG, Iges, egis, gise

Estonian

Noun

geis

1. inessive singular of gei

Irish

Alternative forms

• geas

Etymology

From Old Irish geis, from the same root as guidid (“prays”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɟɛʃ/

Noun

geis f (genitive singular geise, nominative plural geasa)

1. a solemn injunction, especially of a magical kind, the infringement of which led to misfortune or even death
2. a tabu, spell or prohibition

Declension

Declension of geis

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative geis geasa Vocative a gheis a gheasa Genitive geise geas Dative geis geasa

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an gheis na geasa Genitive na geise na ngeas Dative leis an ngeis don gheis leis na geasa

Quotations

• 1974, Gerard Stockman, The Irish of Achill, Co. Mayo, Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen’s University of Belfast, page 69:

  ná bain le geis agus ní bhainfidh geis leat

  Do not bother with superstitions and superstitions will not bother you.

Descendants

• → English: geas

Noun

geis f sg

1. (archaic or dialectal) dative singular of geas

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
geis	gheis	ngeis
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “geas”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 358
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “geis”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Occitan

Noun

geis m

1. plaster (substance)

   Synonym: gip

Derived terms

• engeissar

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

geis f

1. genitive singular of geas

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
geis	gheis
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.