fónamh

Irish

Alternative forms

• fónadh
• foghnadh, fóghnadh, foghnamh, fóghnamh (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish fognam, verbal noun of fo·gní. By surface analysis, fóin +‎ -amh. Cognate with Scottish Gaelic fòghnadh.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠoːn̪ˠəvˠ/, [ˈfˠõːn̪ˠəvˠ]

Noun

fónamh m (genitive singular as substantive fónaimh, genitive as verbal noun fónta)

1. verbal noun of fóin
2. serving (act), (rendering) service
3. utility, usefulness

Declension

As a substantive:

Declension of fónamh

First declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative fónamh Vocative a fhónaimh Genitive fónaimh Dative fónamh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an fónamh Genitive an fhónaimh Dative leis an bhfónamh don fhónamh

As a verbal noun:

Declension of fónamh

Irregular

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative fónamh Vocative a fhónamh Genitive fónta Dative fónamh

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an fónamh Genitive an fhónta Dative leis an bhfónamh don fhónamh

Derived terms

• ar fónamh (“in good condition, well”)
• gan fónamh (“useless, shiftless”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fónamh	fhónamh	bhfónamh
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• “fónamh”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “fognam”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “foġnaṁ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 323
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fónamh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 28