fonn

See also: fónn, fönn, fönn-, and fǫnn

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse fǫnn; cognate with Icelandic fönn, Danish fon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔnː/

  Rhymes: -ɔnː

Noun

fonn f (genitive singular fannar, plural fannir)

1. snowdrift
2. bow wash, bow wave

Declension

f4	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fonn	fonnin	fannir	fannirnar
accusative	fonn	fonnina	fannir	fannirnar
dative	fonn	fonnini	fonnum	fonnunum
genitive	fannar	fannarinnar	fanna	fannanna

Synonyms

• kavafonn, skalvur, snjófonn (poetic)
• bógfonn

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Cork, Galway) IPA^(key): /fˠuːn̪ˠ/
• (Kerry) IPA^(key): /fˠɑun̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fˠʌn̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish fonn (“desire, fondness”).

Noun

fonn m (genitive singular foinn)

1. desire, urge
2. mood (with chun or the genitive of what the person is in the mood for)

   Tá fonn orm chun damhsa.

   I feel like dancing; I’m in the mood for dancing.

   Tá fonn damhsa orm.

   I feel like dancing; I’m in the mood for dancing.

Declension

Declension of fonn (first declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative fonn vocative a fhoinn genitive foinn dative fonn forms with the definite article singular nominative an fonn genitive an fhoinn dative leis an bhfonn don fhonn

Derived terms

• d’fhonn
• d’fhonn is go
• fonnmhar (“desirous, wishful, eager, willing”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish fonn (“melody, song”).

Noun

fonn m (genitive singular foinn, nominative plural foinn)

1. (music) air (song)

Declension

Declension of fonn (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative fonn foinn vocative a fhoinn a fhonna genitive foinn fonn dative fonn foinn forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an fonn na foinn genitive an fhoinn na bhfonn dative leis an bhfonn don fhonn leis na foinn

Derived terms

• fonnadóir
• fonnmhar (“tuneful, melodious”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of fonn

radical	lenition	eclipsis
fonn	fhonn	bhfonn

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “fonn”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “fonn”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 328
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “fonn”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “fonn”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

Middle Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɸon̪/

Etymology 1

Noun

fonn m

1. desire, fondness, pleasure (in something)

Descendants

• Irish: fonn

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 fonn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 2

Perhaps an extension of etymology 1.

Noun

fonn m

1. melody, song

Descendants

• Irish: fonn
• Scottish Gaelic: fonn

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “3 fonn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Mutation

Mutation of fonn

radical	lenition	nasalization
fonn	ḟonn	fonn pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/

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

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse fǫnn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔnː/

Noun

fonn f (plural fonna)

1. a snowdrift
2. an avalanche
3. a glacier

Derived terms

• snøfonn

Related terms

• fenna

Further reading

• “fonn” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Irish

Etymology

Possibly a late or variant form of bonn (“sole, foot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸon̪/

Noun

fonn m or n

1. sole (of the foot):
2. base, bottom, foundation
3. soil, ground, (by extension) piece of land, territory

Inflection

Masculine o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	fonn	fonnL	fuinnL
vocative	fuinn	fonnL	fonnuH
accusative	fonnN	fonnL	fonnuH
genitive	fuinnL	fonn	fonnN
dative	fonnL	fonnaib	fonnaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Neuter o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	fonnN	fonnN	fonnL, fonna
vocative	fonnN	fonnN	fonnL, fonna
accusative	fonnN	fonnN	fonnL, fonna
genitive	fuinnL	fonn	fonnN
dative	fonnL	fonnaib	fonnaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Mutation

Mutation of fonn

radical	lenition	nasalization
fonn	ḟonn	fonn pronounced with /β̃-/

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

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 fonn (‘sole; bottom’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish fonn (“melody, song”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔun̪ˠ/

Noun

fonn m (genitive singular fuinn, plural fuinn)

1. tune, melody

Synonyms

• port, mànran

Mutation

Mutation of fonn

radical	lenition
fonn	fhonn

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

Vilamovian

Noun

fonn

1. plural of fōn (“flag”)