langsuir means in Malaysian folklore: a vampire which is the revenant of a woman who died while pregnant or during childbirth, and which seeks the blood of newborn children. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 91 out of 100.
Why “langsuir” is a great word
LANGSUIR — [Noun] In Malaysian folklore, a vampiric revenant of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth, preying upon the blood of newborns. Borrowed from Malay langsuir, a variant of langsuyar. Unlike the penanggal—a detached, flying head trailing viscera—or the often-associated pontianak—a ghost of maternal death—the langsuir is a whole-bodied undead of preserved, haunting beauty. She is the rustle of long hair at a nursery window, the scent of frangipani on a windless night, and the silhouette whose tresses hide the hole in her neck—a grief so profound it refused the grave, returning hungry for the life it was denied.
Etymology
Borrowed from Malay langsuir.
noun
- In Malaysian folklore: a vampire which is the revenant of a woman who died while pregnant or during childbirth, and which seeks the blood of newborn children.