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Mi·le·sian²

(mī-lēzhən, -shən)

1. Mythology A member of a people who invaded Ireland, defeated the Tu·a·tha Dé Da·naan, and became the ancestors of the Gaels.

2. A native or inhabitant of Ireland.

adj.

Of or relating to Ireland; Irish.

[After Milesius, Latinized form of Old Irish Míl Espáine, legendary ancestor of the Gaels (literally, "Soldier of Spain," since he fought and died in Spain) : míl, soldier (from Latin mīles) + Espáine, genitive of Espáin, Spain (from Latin Hispānia).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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