abellón

Galician

O' Avellon, a poem by Alfredo Brañas, 1884

Alternative forms

• abelhom (reintegrationist)
• abelhão (reintegrationist)

Etymology

From abella (“bee”) +‎ -ón, augmentative suffix. Compare Portuguese abelhão.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aβeˈʎoŋ]

Noun

abellón m (plural abellóns)

1. drone (male bee)

   Synonyms: abáboro, abázcaro

2. bumblebee

   Synonym: abesouro

3. (folklore) ancient funerary practice where relatives and neighbours of the deceased would reunite around his or her deathbed, take hands and buzz around, allegedly to guide the deceased's soul

References

• “abellón” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “abellón” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “abellón” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.