feá

See also: fea, FEA, and fea-

Irish

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish fed (“length, interval”), from Old Irish ed. Doublet of feadh.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /fʲaː/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /fʲɑː/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲɨ̞ɡ/, /fʲaː/, /fʲəɯ̯/

Noun

feá m (genitive singular as substantive feá, genitive as verbal noun feáite, nominative plural feánna)

1. fathom (unit of length)
2. verbal noun of feáigh (“to fathom”)

Declension

As substantive:

Declension of feá

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative feá feánna Vocative a fheá a fheánna Genitive feá feánna Dative feá feánna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an feá na feánna Genitive an fheá na bhfeánna Dative leis an bhfeá don fheá leis na feánna

As verbal noun:

Declension of feá

Third declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative feá Vocative a fheá Genitive feáite Dative feá

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an feá Genitive an fheáite Dative leis an bhfeá don fheá

Alternative forms

• feadh (superseded)

Further reading

• “feadh”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “2 ed”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “feaḋ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 302
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “feá”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Etymology 2

Perhaps a borrowing from Old French fau, from Latin fāgus? This word is missing from the Dictionary of the Irish Language so its history is difficult to ascertain.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲaː/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /fʲɑː/

Noun

feá f (genitive singular feá, nominative plural feánna)

1. beech (tree of genus Fagus)

Declension

Declension of feá

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative feá feánna Vocative a fheá a fheánna Genitive feá feánna Dative feá feánna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an fheá na feánna Genitive na feá na bhfeánna Dative leis an bhfeá don fheá leis na feánna

Alternative forms

• feagha (superseded)

Further reading

• “feagha”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “feaġa”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 303
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “feá”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

feá

1. genitive singular of fiodh

Alternative forms

• feadha (superseded)

Etymology 4

Noun

feá

1. Alternative form of feag (“rush, reed”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
feá	fheá	bhfeá
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.