Sidhe
/ʃiː/noun
In Irish tradition, a fairy mound or the supernatural people believed to inhabit it.
Did you know?In Irish, sídhe is tied to ancient burial mounds and the supernatural realm, so the “fairy folk” were originally linked to sacred, haunted landscape—not cute woodland sprites.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱei-
“to lie down, rest, be settled”
Old Irish
OIr
síde / síd
“a mound, hill, or fairy hill; also the Otherworld beings associated with it”
Middle Irish
MIr
síde
“supernatural beings of the mounds; fairy folk”
Modern Irish
Gaelic
sí
“a fairy mound or the fairies themselves”
Modern English
English
sidhe
“Irish fairy folk or a fairy mound, especially in folklore and fantasy usage”