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In modern English, the nouns vates (/ˈveɪtiːz/) and ovate (UK: /ˈɒvət, ˈoʊveɪt/, US: /ˈoʊveɪt/), are used as technical terms for ancient Celtic bards, prophets and philosophers. The terms correspond to a Proto-Celtic word which can be reconstructed as *wātis.[1] They are sometimes also used as English equivalents to later Celtic terms such as Irish fáith "prophet, seer".