aiféala

Irish

Alternative forms

• aiféile
• aithmhéala, aithmhéile (superseded)

Etymology

From Middle Irish aithméla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈafʲeːlˠə/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈafʲeːɾˠ/, /ˈafʲeːlˠ/

Noun

aiféala m (genitive singular aiféala)

1. regret, remorse
2. shame, shamefacedness

Declension

Declension of aiféala (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative aiféala vocative a aiféala genitive aiféala dative aiféala forms with the definite article singular nominative an t-aiféala genitive an aiféala dative leis an aiféala don aiféala

Quotations

• 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 21:

  ńīl orm̥ ax ȧfēr fȳ n æmšŕ̥, ə tā kȧlc am.

  [Níl orm ach aiféala faoin aimsir atá cailte agam.]

  I regret only the time I’ve lost.

  (literally, “There is nothing on me but regret concerning…”)

  tā ȧfēr rī wōr orm̥, n̄ax vēdĭm n̥ ceŕəvīš šin ə jīnə ʒic.

  [Tá aiféala rímhór orm nach bhféadaim an tseirbhís sin a dhéanamh dhuit.]

  I greatly regret that I can’t perform that service for you.

  (literally, “There is great regret on me that…”)

Related terms

• aiféaltas m (“shame, embarrassment; regret”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of aiféala

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
aiféala	n-aiféala	haiféala	t-aiféala

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “aiféala”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “aiṫṁéala”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 22
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “aiféala”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “aiféala”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026