fíal

See also: fial

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʲiːa̯l/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *wēlos (“modest”), from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“rotate turn”). Cognate with Welsh gŵyl (“modest, generous, kind”).

Adjective

fíal (equative félithir, comparative féliu)

2. noble, becoming, generous

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fíal	fíal	fíal
Vocative	féil* fíal**
Accusative	fíal	féil
Genitive	féil	féile	féil
Dative	fíal	féil	fíal
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	féil	fíala
Vocative	fíalu fíala†
Accusative	fíalu fíala†
Genitive	fíal
Dative	fíalaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Derived terms

• féle

Descendants

• Middle Irish: fíal
  • Irish: fial
  • Scottish Gaelic: fial
  • Manx: feoilt

Etymology 2

From Latin vēlum (“curtain, veil”).

Noun

fíal n

2. veil

Inflection

Neuter o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	fíalN	fíalN	fíalL, fíala
Vocative	fíalN	fíalN	fíalL, fíala
Accusative	fíalN	fíalN	fíalL, fíala
Genitive	féilL	fíal	fíalN
Dative	fíalL	fíalaib	fíalaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: fíal
  • Irish: fial

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
fíal	ḟíal	fíal pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 fíal "noble"”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “2 fíal "veil"”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language