fáinne

See also: fainne and fàinne

English

Noun

fáinne (plural fáinnes or fáinni)

1. Alternative form of fainne.
   • 2000, Michael O'Sullivan, Brendan Behan: A Life, page 158:

     The Dublin Gaels with their golden fáinnes

Irish

fáinne

Etymology

From Middle Irish fáinne, 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 in nonleniting environments. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàinne.

Pronunciation

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

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 singular plural nominative fáinne fáinní vocative a fháinne a fháinní genitive fáinne fáinní dative fáinne fáinní forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an fáinne na fáinní genitive an fháinne na bhfáinní dative leis an bhfáinne don fháinne leis na fáinní

Derived terms

• fáinne cluaise (“earring”)
• fáinne gealltanais (“engagement ring”)
• fáinneach (“annular”, adjective)
• fáinneog (“ringlet”)
• gásfháinne (“gas ring”)
• heitreafháinneach (“heterocyclic”, adjective)
• méar an fháinne (“ring finger”)

Descendants

• → English: fainne, Fainne, Fáinne, fáinne, fawny, fawney, phony, phoney (British)
• → Romani: foni

Mutation

Mutated forms of fáinne

radical	lenition	eclipsis
fáinne	fháinne	bhfáinne

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

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “fáinne”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 417; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “fáinne”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “fáinne”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “fáinne”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025