Fenian

English

Etymology

Blend of Irish féinne or fianna, plural of fiann (“soldier”), the name of a legendary band of Irish warriors, and Old Irish Féne or Féni, legendary settlers of Ireland. First attested from 1816.

Pronunciation

• enPR: fē-nē-ən, fēn′yən, IPA^(key): /ˈfiːniːən/, /ˈfiːnjən/

• Audio (Southern England):

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Noun

Fenian (plural Fenians)

1. (British, Ireland) An Irish nationalist or republican.
2. (historical) A member of the Fenian Brotherhood or the Irish Republican Brotherhood, Irish republican organizations active in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
3. (derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A Catholic, especially one of Irish ethnicity or descent.
4. (derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A supporter of Scottish association football club Celtic F.C.

Synonyms

• (derogatory, Irish Catholic or supporter of Celtic F.C): taig, Tim

Related terms

• Fenian Cycle

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “Fenian”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• Fenian - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Anagrams

• Fannie, fainne