geas

English

Etymology

From Irish geis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡɛʃ/, /ˈɡi.əʃ/
  • Rhymes: -ɛʃ

Noun

geas (plural geasa or geases)

  1. (ancient Ireland, religion, mythology) A vow or obligation placed upon a person.
    • 1992, Neil Gaiman, "Chivalry", republished in 1998, Smoke and Mirrors,
      Galaad stood up again and turned to Mrs. Whitaker. 'Gracious lady, keeper of the Holy of Holies, let me now depart this place with the Blessed Chalice, that my journeyings may be ended and my geas fulfilled.'
    • 1989, Roger Zelazny, Knight of Shadows,
      It can send us where it will with a task laid upon us—a geas, if you like.
    • 2003, Arthur Rowan, The Lore of the Bard: A Guide to the Celtic and Druid Mysteries, Llewellyn Worldwide, page 126,
      The geas is the last effective enchantment we shall consider. A geas is a restriction or compulsion laid upon a person by a druid or a bard. To break a geas is to forfeit one's share of luck and possibly one's life. […] Geasa are not curses, but recognitions of individual needs given to protect and help an individual succeed at life.
  2. A curse.
  3. A mystical compulsion.
    • 1980, Stephen R. Donaldson, The Wounded Land, page 162,
      The memory came upon him like a geas, overwhelming his revulsion, numbing his heart.
    • 2000, Ly De Angeles, Witchcraft: Theory and Practice, Llewellyn Worldwide, page 176,
      A geas is your own personal haunting by yourself! […] Kassandra, a Greek prophetess who always envisioned dreadful happenings, had a geas on her. She might have wanted to be a queen or a housewife, a warrior or a merchant, but she wasn't (even though a geas won't interfere in any of your pursuits). She became legendary for the geas that propelled her to prophesy dreadful happenings.

Anagrams

Irish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɟasˠ/

Noun

geas

  1. genitive plural of geis

Noun

geas f (genitive singular geise, nominative plural geasa)

  1. Alternative form of geis

Declension

Noun

geas m

  1. Alternative form of gás (“gas; paraffin oil”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
geas gheas ngeas
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kʲes/

Noun

geas f (genitive singular geis or geasa, plural geasan)

  1. enchantment, sorcery

Derived terms

Mutation

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

See also

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