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Samhain

Meaning of "Samhain" in the English dictionary

DICTIONARY

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SAMHAIN

From Irish, from Old Irish samain.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF SAMHAIN

ˈsɑːwɪn


GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SAMHAIN

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Samhain is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES SAMHAIN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Samhain

Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. It is celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November, which is nearly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Along with Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh it makes up the four Gaelic seasonal festivals. It was observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Kindred festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf, Kalan Gwav and Kalan Goañv. Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and is known to have pre-Christian roots. Many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Beltane, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them. Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the spirits or fairies could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits.

Definition of Samhain in the English dictionary

The definition of Samhain in the dictionary is an ancient Celtic festival held on Nov 1 to mark the beginning of winter and the beginning of a new year. It is also celebrated by modern pagans.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH SAMHAIN

Alcuin · Baldwin · Darwin · Edwin · Gershwin · Godwin · Gwyn · harlequin · hauyne · Irwin · lauwine · lawine · penguin · quin · Quinn · sanguine · sequin · twin · win · wyn

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SAMHAIN

Sami · Samian · Samian ware · samiel · samisen · samite · samithi · samiti · samizdat · samlet · samlor · Sammarinese

WORDS THAT END LIKE SAMHAIN

ball and chain · branched chain · chain · daisy chain · door chain · fast-food chain · food chain · grand chain · hain · heavy chain · hotel chain · long-chain · Markov chain · mountain chain · open chain · paper chain · side chain · straight chain · supply chain · unchain

Synonyms and antonyms of Samhain in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «Samhain» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR

TRANSLATION OF SAMHAIN

Find out the translation of Samhain to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of Samhain from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «Samhain» in English.
zh

Translator English - Chinese

萨温节
1,325 millions of speakers
es

Translator English - Spanish

Samhain
570 millions of speakers
en

English

Samhain
510 millions of speakers
hi

Translator English - Hindi

Samhain
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

سامهاين
280 millions of speakers
ru

Translator English - Russian

Самайн
278 millions of speakers
pt

Translator English - Portuguese

Samhain
270 millions of speakers
bn

Translator English - Bengali

সামহেন
260 millions of speakers
fr

Translator English - French

Samhain
220 millions of speakers
ms

Translator English - Malay

Samhain
190 millions of speakers
de

Translator English - German

Samhain
180 millions of speakers
ja

Translator English - Japanese

サムハイン
130 millions of speakers
ko

Translator English - Korean

삼 헤인 (Samhain)
85 millions of speakers
jv

Translator English - Javanese

Samhain
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

Samhain
80 millions of speakers
ta

Translator English - Tamil

சம்ஹெய்ன்
75 millions of speakers
mr

Translator English - Marathi

Samhain
75 millions of speakers
tr

Translator English - Turkish

Samhain
70 millions of speakers
it

Translator English - Italian

Samhain
65 millions of speakers
pl

Translator English - Polish

Samhain
50 millions of speakers
uk

Translator English - Ukrainian

Самайн
40 millions of speakers
ro

Translator English - Romanian

Samhain
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

Samhain
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Samhain
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

Samhain
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Samhain
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of Samhain

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SAMHAIN»

Principal search tendencies and common uses of Samhain
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «Samhain».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about Samhain

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SAMHAIN»

Discover the use of Samhain in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to Samhain and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Samhain
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.
W. B. Yeats, 2006
2
Host Integrity Monitoring Using Osiris and Samhain
This book will walk the reader through the process of preparing and deploying open source host integrity monitoring software, specifically, Osiris and Samhain.
Brian Wotring, 2005
3
Samhain
Gene is in for a lot more than a hot Halloween orgy as he dons his gladiator costume and sets out for a friend's opulent house. Are the characters he encounters for real? Figments of his sexual overdrive? Or something more sinister?
Kenn Dahll, 2010
4
Samhain in the Kitchen
Ruephaus, the Blue Dragon's guide to Fairy Mound Cooking. A first cookbook for children. Fun recipes that can be used by small children with supervision. Also pictures of each recipe to color.
David Springer, 2005
5
Celebrating the Seasons of Life - Samhain to Ostara: Lore, ...
The first of two new titles from Ashleen offers a vision of the holidays we celebrate from October to March. This book covers each holiday by first giving us its history and original customs, then explaining its place in modern life.
Ashleen O'Gaea, 2004
6
Eve of Samhain
In a race against the clock, Ryann learns she must plead for Quinn's life before ... the Eve of Samhain.
Lisa Sanchez, 2010
7
Stained Glass at Samhain
Follow-up to the acclaimed play, Eclipsed where Sr Luke, a former superior of Killmacha Magdalen Laundry, returns to her convent where she challenges and entertains with the wit and emotional power of her stories.
Patricia Burke Brogan, 2013
8
Beginnings: A Samhain Anthology
A collection of romantic stories.
‎2006
9
Llewellyn's 2015 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2014 to Mabon 2015
Filled with over fifty articles by your favorite Wiccan and Pagan writers, Llewellyn's 2015 Sabbats Almanacprovides welcome ideas and insights into each holiday on the Wheel of the Year.
Llewellyn, 2014
10
Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2010 to Mabon 2011
Planting the seeds of the new year comes easily this Samhain, as a waning Moon in the heart-centered sign of Leo draws our attention inward. Mercury in Scorpio and Venus retrograde (also in Scorpio), add an even greater intensity to  ...
Llewellyn, 2010

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SAMHAIN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term Samhain is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Samhain/Danzig Bassist Eerie Von Is Making a Documentary About …
As the legendary bassist for Samhain and Danzig, as well as photographer/archivist for the Misfits, Eerie Von has a treasure trove of photo and video ... «Noisey, Mar 15»
2
Samhain Releasing Eric Red's White Knuckle Novel in June
The multi-talented Eric Red is a novelist, screenwriter, and film director; and he has a new book heading our way in early June entitled White Knuckle from ... «Dread Central, Mar 15»
3
National Museum seeks to reclaim Celtic festival of Samhain
The Irish gave the feast of Samhain to the world, which became Halloween, and a new exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland is seeking to claim it back. «Irish Times, Nov 14»
4
Samhain: The pagan festival behind Halloween
Samhain, usually pronounced “Sowan”, is a central festival in the historical and neo-pagan calendars. Neo-paganism may appear to be a relatively recent faith, ... «Raw Story, Nov 14»
5
We Asked Salem's Official Witch What to Eat at a Pagan Sabbat
For decades, Cabot has presided over the town's local celebrations during sabbats, or pagan holidays, the most significant of which is Samhain (pronounced ... «Munchies_ Food by VICE, Oct 14»
6
Samhain: Looking Toward Death
candle and cauldron It's been good to see so much written about the ancestors this Samhain. I was especially pleased to be part of a Patheos site-wide feature ... «Patheos, Oct 14»
7
Samhain 2014: 3 Things You Need To Know About The Pagan …
Many Wiccans, Druids and other pagans across the globe will be marking the beginning of their spiritual new year with the two-day festival of Samhain. The most ... «International Business Times, Oct 14»
8
Hill of Ward: Did Halloween begin on 'magical' ancient site?
In the 17th Century, historian Geoffrey Keating wrote of the feast of Samhain, the pre-Christian forerunner of Halloween, and the fierce fire on a hill in Meath. «BBC News, Oct 14»
9
Samhain 2014: Facts, Dates, Traditions And Rituals To Know
In late October and early November, many Pagans and Wiccans around the globe celebrate Samhain, believed to be an ancient Celtic festival in celebration of ... «Huffington Post, Oct 14»
10
How Modern Pagans Are Reclaiming The Halloween Witch …
During Samhain, a pagan holiday closely associated with Halloween that also takes place on October 31, the Circle Sanctuary will host a Witches' Ball for which ... «Huffington Post, Oct 14»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Samhain [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/samhain>. May 2024 ».
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