See also: féal

English edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /fiːl/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːl

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English fele, fæle (proper, of the right sort), from Old English fǣle (faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved), from Proto-West Germanic *failī, from Proto-Germanic *failijaz (true, friendly, familiar, good), from Proto-Indo-European *pey- (to adore). Cognate with Scots feel, feelie (cosy, neat, clean, comfortable), West Frisian feilich (safe), Dutch veil (for-sale), Dutch veilig (safe), German feil (for-sale), Latin pīus (good, dutiful, faithful, devout, pious).

Alternative forms edit

Adjective edit

feal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

  1. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) (of things) Cosy; clean; neat.
    • 1847, Henry Scott Riddell, Poems, songs and miscellaneous pieces:
      But if it stands in humble hame The bed, — I'll say this far in't, — Is clean and feel as ony lair King ever lay on — and that is mair Than mony ane could warrant.
  2. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) (of persons) Comfortable; cosy; safe.
    • 1822, Allan Cunningham, “Death of the Laird Of Warlsworm”, in Traditional Tales of the English and Scottish Peasantry, volume 2, page 330:
      [] when I care na to accompany ye to the kirkyard hole mysel, and take my word for't, ye'Il lie saftest and fealest on the Buittle side of the kirk; []
  3. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Smooth; soft; downy; velvety.
Derived terms edit

Adverb edit

feal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

  1. In a feal manner.

Etymology 2 edit

From Middle English felen, from Old Norse fela (to hide), from Proto-Germanic *felhaną (to conceal, hide, bury, trust, intrude), from Proto-Indo-European *pele(w)-, *plē(w)- (to hide). Cognate with Old High German felahan (to pass, trust, sow), Old English fēolan (to cleave, enter, penetrate).

Verb edit

feal (third-person singular simple present feals, present participle fealing, simple past and past participle fealed)

  1. (transitive, dialectal) To hide.

Etymology 3 edit

From Middle English felen (to come at (one's enemies), advance), from Old English fēolan (to cleave, enter, penetrate), from Proto-Germanic *felhaną.

Verb edit

feal (third-person singular simple present feals, present participle fealing, simple past fale or fealed, past participle folen or fealed)

  1. (obsolete) To press on, advance.
    • 1338, Robert Mannyng, Mannyng's Chronicle:
      Durst none of them further feal.

References edit

Etymology 4 edit

Borrowed from Middle Scots feal, from Early Scots feal, from Old French feal, collateral form of feeil, from Latin fidelis.

Adjective edit

feal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

  1. (archaic) faithful, loyal
Derived terms edit

Etymology 5 edit

Unknown; see fail.

Noun edit

feal (plural feals)

  1. Alternative form of fail (piece of turf cut from grassland)

Anagrams edit

Galician edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From feo (hay) +‎ -al, suffix which forms place names. From Latin fēnum (hay).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

feal m (plural feais)

  1. hayfield

References edit

Middle English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Probably borrowed from Anglo-Norman feal (faithful), earlier fedeil, from Latin fidēlis; compare feaute.

In Middle English, reinterpreted as fe (fee) +‎ -al, influencing both the sense and form.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /feːˈaːl/, /ˈfeːal/

Noun edit

feal (Early Scots, Scots law)

  1. A stipend or allowance given to someone.
  2. (rare) Ownership of land under feudalism.
  3. (rare) Fealty; feudal allegiance, fidelity, or loyalty.

Descendants edit

  • Middle Scots: feall, fiall

References edit