fiann

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fíann, from Proto-Celtic *wēnos (“hero”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“strive for, wish, desire”). Cognate with Latin vēnor (“I hunt”), Old English wynn (“joy, desire”) and Old Norse vinr (“friend”). Akin to Irish fine.

Noun

fiann f (genitive singular féinne, nominative plural fianna)

1. (historical, literary, Irish mythology) roving band of warrior-hunters
2. band of soldiers
   1. (by extension) band, group

Declension

Declension of fiann

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative fiann fianna Vocative a fhiann a fhianna Genitive féinne fiann Dative fiann fianna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an fhiann na fianna Genitive na féinne na bhfiann Dative leis an bhfiann don fhiann leis na fianna

Derived terms

• Amhrán na bhFiann
• fiann fichille (“set of chessmen”)
• Fianna Éireann (national insurrectionary scout body)
• Fianna Fáil (political party)
• Fianna Fhinn, na Fianna (“legendary warrior-bands of Fionn Mac Cumhaill”)
• fiannas m (“the profession of a warrior, of a soldier; active military service”)

 

Related terms

• féinní m (“member of legendary Fianna; (roving) warrior; soldier; champion”)
• fiannach (“having, pertaining to, warrior bands; pertaining to the ancient Fianna; ancient, pertaining to antiquity”, adjective)
• fiannaíocht f (“service with ancient warrior band; service in Fianna; stories, lays, of the Fianna; ancient lore; romantic story-telling”)
• fiannaí m (“teller of stories of the ancient Fianna; one versed in ancient lore; romancer, story-teller”)
• fiannlaoch m (“member of warrior band”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fiann	fhiann	bhfiann
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fiann”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “fiann”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[1], Stirling, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “fiann”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm