feabhas

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish febas (“excellence”), from feb (“excellence”) +‎ -as.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /fʲəusˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲoːsˠ/

Noun

feabhas m (genitive singular feabhais)

1. excellence
2. improvement

   Synonym: biseach

   Tá feabhas mór air. ― He has greatly improved.

   Tháinig feabhas ar a chuma. ― His appearance improved.

Declension

Declension of feabhas

First declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative feabhas Vocative a fheabhais Genitive feabhais Dative feabhas

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an feabhas Genitive an fheabhais Dative leis an bhfeabhas don fheabhas

Derived terms

• ar fheabhas (“excellent”)
• cuir feabhas ar (“improve, make better”)
• téigh i bhfeabhas (“improve, get better”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
feabhas	fheabhas	bhfeabhas
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “febas”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “feaḃas”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 301
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “feabhas”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 73

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfjoəs̪/

Noun

feabhas m (genitive singular feabhais, plural feabhasan)

1. goodness
2. improvement
3. excellence, superiority

Derived terms

• cuir am feabhs (“to make better, improve”, transitive verb)
• rach am freabhas / thig am feabhas (“to get better, improve”, intransitive verb)

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
feabhas	fheabhas
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.