wanion means the wane of the moon. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
wanion is pronounced /ˈweɪni.ən/.
Why “wanion” is a great word
A specific, archaic curse or vengeance, particularly one invoked under the ill-omen of a waning moon. From an alteration of the earlier Middle English 'waniand' (meaning 'waning'), the present participle of 'wanien' (to wane), from the phrase 'in the waniand [moon]', i.e., in the unlucky period of the waning moon. Unlike 'vengeance,' a blunt and general act of retaliation, or 'hex,' a deliberate and crafted spell, a wanion is a retribution steeped in celestial ill-omen. It is the blight that withers a crop sown under that diminished light, the spiteful whisper that rides the last sliver of a dying moon, and the old, cold promise that fate itself will exact payment—a reminder that some justice is not wrought by hand, but by the slow, indifferent turning of the sky.
Etymology
Alteration of earlier waniand, from Middle English waniand (“waning”), present participle of wanien (“to wane”) (from the phrase "in the waniand [moon]", i.e. in the time of the waning moon, in an unlucky period).
noun
- The wane of the moon.
- Curse.“S’foote what are these that pynch me? Goblins?
A wanion on the Elues for me […]”
- Vengeance (in the phrases in a wanion, with a wanion, “with a vengeance”).“And yet notwithstanding we must haue these goodly pageants played vpon the sabaoth day (in a wanion) because there are no mo daies in the week.”