feall

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /fʲɑːl̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲal̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish fell (“deceit, treachery”), from Proto-Celtic *welsos.

Noun

feall m (genitive singular fill, nominative plural feallanna)

1. deceit, treachery, bad faith
2. let-down, failure

Declension

Declension of feall

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative feall feallanna Vocative a fhill a fheallanna Genitive fill feallanna Dative feall feallanna

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an feall na feallanna Genitive an fhill na bhfeallanna Dative leis an bhfeall don fheall leis na feallanna

Etymology 2

From Old Irish fellaid (“act deceitfully”), from fell.

Verb

feall (present analytic feallann, future analytic feallfaidh, verbal noun fealladh, past participle feallta)

1. (intransitive, with ar) prove false to, betray; fail; cheat

Conjugation

conjugation of feall (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	feallaim	feallann tú; feallair†	feallann sé, sí	feallaimid	feallann sibh	feallann siad; feallaid†	a fheallann; a fheallas / a bhfeallann*	fealltar
	past	d'fheall mé; d'fheallas / fheall mé‡; fheallas‡	d'fheall tú; d'fheallais / fheall tú; fheallais‡	d'fheall sé, sí / fheall sé, sí‡	d'fheallamar; d'fheall muid / fheallamar; fheall muid‡	d'fheall sibh; d'fheallabhair / fheall sibh; fheallabhair‡	d'fheall siad; d'fhealladar / fheall siad; fhealladar‡	a d'fheall / ar fheall*	fealladh
	past habitual	d'fheallainn / fheallainn‡; bhfeallainn‡‡	d'fhealltá / fhealltá‡; bhfealltᇇ	d'fhealladh sé, sí / fhealladh sé, sí‡; bhfealladh sé, s퇇	d'fheallaimis; d'fhealladh muid / fheallaimis; fhealladh muid‡; bhfeallaimis‡‡; bhfealladh muid‡‡	d'fhealladh sibh / fhealladh sibh‡; bhfealladh sibh‡‡	d'fheallaidís; d'fhealladh siad / fheallaidís; fhealladh siad‡; bhfeallaidís‡‡; bhfealladh siad‡‡	a d'fhealladh / a bhfealladh*	d'fhealltaí / fhealltaí‡; bhfeallta퇇
future		feallfaidh mé; feallfad	feallfaidh tú; feallfair†	feallfaidh sé, sí	feallfaimid; feallfaidh muid	feallfaidh sibh	feallfaidh siad; feallfaid†	a fheallfaidh; a fheallfas / a bhfeallfaidh*	feallfar
conditional		d'fheallfainn / fheallfainn‡; bhfeallfainn‡‡	d'fheallfá / fheallfá‡; bhfeallfᇇ	d'fheallfadh sé, sí / fheallfadh sé, sí‡; bhfeallfadh sé, s퇇	d'fheallfaimis; d'fheallfadh muid / fheallfaimis‡; fheallfadh muid‡; bhfeallfaimis‡‡; bhfeallfadh muid‡‡	d'fheallfadh sibh / fheallfadh sibh‡; bhfeallfadh sibh‡‡	d'fheallfaidís; d'fheallfadh siad / fheallfaidís‡; fheallfadh siad‡; bhfeallfaidís‡‡; bhfeallfadh siad‡‡	a d'fheallfadh / a bhfeallfadh*	d'fheallfaí / fheallfaí‡; bhfeallfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go bhfealla mé; go bhfeallad†	go bhfealla tú; go bhfeallair†	go bhfealla sé, sí	go bhfeallaimid; go bhfealla muid	go bhfealla sibh	go bhfealla siad; go bhfeallaid†	—	go bhfealltar
	past	dá bhfeallainn	dá bhfealltá	dá bhfealladh sé, sí	dá bhfeallaimis; dá bhfealladh muid	dá bhfealladh sibh	dá bhfeallaidís; dá bhfealladh siad	—	dá bhfealltaí
imperative		feallaim	feall	fealladh sé, sí	feallaimis	feallaigí; feallaidh†	feallaidís	—	fealltar
verbal noun		fealladh
past participle		feallta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Synonyms

• (cheat): déan caimiléireacht ar, déan cneámhaireacht ar

Derived terms

• feallaire (“deceiver, betrayer”)
• fealltóir (“betrayer, traitor”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
feall	fheall	bhfeall
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “feall”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “feall”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “feallaim”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “feall”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Middle English

Noun

feall

1. Alternative form of feal

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæ͜ɑll/, [fæ͜ɑɫ]

Noun

feall n

1. Alternative form of fiell

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fjal̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish fell (“deceit, treachery”), from Proto-Celtic *welsos.

Noun

feall f

1. treachery, conspiracy, trickery, deceit, falsehood, guile
2. treason

Derived terms

• fealla-dhà (“joke”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish fellaid (“act deceitfully”), from fell.

Verb

feall (past dh'fheall, future feallaidh, verbal noun fealladh)

1. deceive, betray, impose upon

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
feall	fheall
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “feall”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “feall”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[2], Stirling, →ISBN