faoina

Irish

Alternative forms

• faoi n-a (superseded)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfˠiːnˠə/

Particle

faoina (triggers eclipsis, in regular past tenses faoinar)

1. under which, under whom; about which, about whom (indirect relative; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)

   an crann faoina bhfuil sé ina shuí ― the tree under which he is sitting

   an bhó faoina dúirt sé scéal ― the cow about which he told a story

Usage notes

“About/under which” may also be expressed with the indirect relative particle before the verb and the appropriate inflected form of faoi in its original position in the clause:

• an crann a bhfuil sé ina shuí faoi ― the tree he is sitting under
• an bhó a dúirt sé scéal fúithi ― the cow he told a story about

Contraction

faoina

1. contraction of faoi (“under, about”) +‎ a (“his, her, their”)

   ‘under/about his’ (triggers lenition): faoina shúile ― under his eyes

   ‘under/about her’ (triggers h-prothesis): faoina hascaill ― under her arm

   ‘under/about their’ (triggers eclipsis): faoina gcosa ― under their feet

Related terms

Irish preposition contractions

	contracted with							copular forms
base form	an (“the sg”)	na (“the pl”)	mo (“my”)	do (“your”)	a (“his, her, their; which (present)”)	ár (“our”)	ar (“which (past)”)	before a consonant	before a vowel
									present/future	past/conditional
de (“from”)	den	de na desna*	de mo dem*	de do ded*, det*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
do (“to, for”)	don	do na dosna*	do mo dom*	do do dod*, dot*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
faoi (“under, about”)	faoin	faoi na	faoi mo	faoi do	faoina	faoinár	faoinar		faoinarb	faoinarbh
i (“in”)	sa, san	sna	i mo im*	i do id*, it*	ina	inár	inar		inarb	inarbh
le (“with”)	leis an	leis na	le mo lem*	le do led*, let*	lena	lenár	lenar		lenarb	lenarbh
ó (“from, since”)	ón	ó na ósna*	ó mo óm*	ó do ód*, ót*	óna	ónár	ónar		ónarb	ónarbh
trí (“through”)	tríd an	trí na	trí mo	trí do	trína	trínár	trínar		trínarb	trínarbh

*dialectal