fáinne

See also: fainne and fàinne

Irish

fáinne

Etymology

From Old Irish áinne, from Proto-Celtic *ānniyos (“ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eh₂n- (“ring”). Possibly cognate with Latin ānus and Old Armenian անուր (anur). The initial f comes from a reinterpretation of áinne as fháinne in leniting environments, leading to fáinne as a back-formation from this supposedly underlying form in nonleniting environments. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàinne.

Pronunciation

• (Waterford) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠɑːɲə/
• (Cork, Kerry, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠɑːn̠ʲə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠæːn̠ʲə/

Noun

fáinne m (genitive singular fáinne, nominative plural fáinní)

1. ring

   Leis an bhfáinne seo, pósaim thú. ― With this ring, I thee wed.

2. circle
3. ringlet, curl

   Synonyms: bachall, búcla, drol, caschiabh, fáinneog, iodh, lúibín

4. halo

Declension

Declension of fáinne

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative fáinne fáinní Vocative a fháinne a fháinní Genitive fáinne fáinní Dative fáinne fáinní

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an fáinne na fáinní Genitive an fháinne na bhfáinní Dative leis an bhfáinne don fháinne leis na fáinní

Derived terms

Terms derived from fáinne

• fáinneach (“annular”, adjective)
• fáinne cluaise (“earring”)

• fáinne gealltanais (“engagement ring”)
• gásfháinne (“gas ring”)

• heitreafháinneach (“heterocyclic”, adjective)
• méar an fháinne (“ring finger”)

Descendants

• → English: fainne, phoney, phony
• → Romani: foni

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fáinne	fháinne	bhfáinne
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "fáinne" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “fáinne” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• Entries containing “fáinne” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “fáinne” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.