fann

See also: Fann and fånn

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fann (“weak, helpless”), from Proto-Celtic *wannos. Cognate with Breton gwan, Old Cornish guan, and Welsh gwan.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /fˠaun̪ˠ/
• (Aran, Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /fˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Connemara, Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /fˠan̪ˠ/

Adjective

fann (genitive singular masculine fainn, genitive singular feminine fainne, plural fanna, comparative fainne)

1. faint, weak, feeble

   Synonym: tláith

Declension

Declension of fann

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	fann	fhann	fanna; fhanna²
Vocative	fhainn		fanna
Genitive		fainne	fanna	fann
Dative	fann; fhann¹	fhann; fhainn (archaic)	fanna; fhanna²
Comparative	níos fainne
Superlative	is fainne

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Derived terms

• fainne (“weakness”)
• fannaigh (“to weaken”)
• fannlag (“debilitated”)

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fann”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “fann”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fan/, [fɑn]

Verb

fann

1. second-person singular imperative of fannen

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish fennaid (“to flay, skin”).

Verb

fann (verbal noun fanney, past participle fant)

1. to skin, scalp, flay, slash
2. to soak
3. to fleece
4. to dress down
5. to bite (of wind)

Derived terms

• fanneyder

Mutation

Manx mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fann	ann	vann
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

fann

1. (non-standard since 2005) past tense of finne

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

fann

1. past tense of finne

Old English

Alternative forms

• fan, fon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *βannu, *wannu (“winnowing fan”).

Noun

fann f

1. fan (implement for winnowing grain)

Declension

Declension of fann (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	fann	fanna, fanne
accusative	fanne	fanna, fanne
genitive	fanne	fanna
dative	fanne	fannum

Derived terms

• fannian (“to winnow corn”)

Descendants

• Middle English: fan
  • English: fan

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “fann”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Old Norse

Verb

fann

1. first/third-person singular past active indicative of finna

Swedish

Verb

fann

1. past indicative of finna