Wiktionary

fen

See also: Appendix:Variations of "fen"

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
Schematic illustration of a fen

From Middle English fen, fenne, from Old English fenn (“fen; marsh; mud; dirt”), Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją, from Proto-Indo-European *pen- (“bog, mire”).

See also West Frisian fean, Dutch veen, German Fenn, Norwegian fen; also Middle Irish en (“water”), enach (“swamp”), Old Prussian pannean (“peat-bog”), Sanskrit पङ्क (paṅka, “marsh, mud, mire, slough”).

Noun

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fen (plural fens)

  1. A type of wetland fed by ground water and runoff, containing peat below the waterline, characteristically alkaline. (Contrast bog, marsh, swamp.)
    • 1996, Geological Survey (U.S.), National Water Summary on Wetland Resources, →ISBN, page 214:
      Bogs are acidic, nutrient poor, and have a low species diversity, whereas fens are less acidic and have higher nutrient levels and species diversity.
    • 2019 February 19, Sincere Humphrey, Freshwater Microbiology, Scientific e-Resources, →ISBN, page 24:
      Bogs are acidic peatlands, while fens are non-acidic peatlands.
    • 2023 September 26, Rick Cech, Guy Tudor, Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer's Guide, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 15:
      [...] fens are alkaline. In fact, the precise acidity of a fen depends on the soil through which in-seeping waters have percolated. Northeastern fens vary from somewhat acidic to highly basic (Johnson, 1985, p. 27).
  2. (loosely) Any swamp or mire (especially with negative connotations).
Derived terms
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Translations
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See also

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Etymology 2

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Chinese 分 (fēn). Doublet of hoon and fan.

Noun

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fen (plural fen or fens)

  2. A unit of currency in China, one-hundredth of a yuan.
    • 1994, Ronald David Schwartz, “[Martial Law and After] Symbolic competition”, in Circle of Protest: Political Ritual in the Tibetan Uprising, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, published 1996, →ISBN, page 184:
      One poster, which appeared on the Barkhor on 20 May, ridiculed the way neighbourhood committees were recruiting participants: “We paid 30 fen for one stone, but you hire people for 30 yuan for the picnic in the Norbulingka” (“30 fen” — one hundred fen is one yuan — is a joking reference to Chinese accusations that Tibetans were paid 30 fen by splittists for each stone thrown on 1 October 1987).
Translations
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Etymology 3

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From fan, by analogy with men as the plural of man.

Noun

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fen

  1. (fandom slang) a plural of fan used by enthusiasts of science fiction, fantasy, and anime, partly from whimsy and partly to distinguish themselves from fans of sport, etc.
    • 1951 May 21, Winthrop Sargeant, “Through the Interstellar Looking Glass”, in Life‎[1], volume 30, number 21, page 127:
      Sad to relate, some of the European delegates were probably insurgents rather than true fen. […] But the Europeans could be counted on to take the long view, and many of them would probably turn out to be real fen and fenne after all.
    • 2016 September 3, lurkertype, “Worldcon 75 Chair Responds”, in File 770‎[2], Comments:
      So I’m glad the attached hotel block is entirely reserved for disabled fen! Traveling on mass transit is tiring even when everything’s up to code.
Coordinate terms
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Derived terms
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Etymology 4

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Clipping of fennec (“a small fox of the species Vulpes zerda, found in the Sahara (excluding the coast) and having distinctive oversized ears.”).

Noun

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fen (plural fens)

  1. (furry fandom, Internet slang, informal) A fennec fox.
    • 2018 December 30, @FENNERGY, Twitter‎[3]:
      Your fursona holding mine while she's arguing with some random person

      Like you're cradling the little fen & she's screaming out threats
    • 2022 September 15, “Fem”, in r/foxes‎[4], Reddit:
      I always wondered why foxes go flat-ear mode whenever they are happy or screaming, very cute fen btw
    • 2023 February 11, @alvocet, Twitter‎[5]:
      Just because an animal doesnt fight when you pet them doesn't mean they like it. If a fen's ears are back like that leave them the fuck alone
    • 2025 January 24, u/Synpharia, “Sleepy Fen says I'm her bed now”, in r/fennecfoxes‎[6], Reddit:
      What a little tooty! BTW I really liked your post on information about fens! Thank you for getting more info out there❣️

Etymology 5

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Compare fend.

Interjection

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fen

  1. (obsolete) Used in children's games to prevent or forestall another player's action; a check or bar.

Etymology 6

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From Middle English *vene, Kentish variant of *fine, from Old English fyne (“moisture, mold, mildew”), from Proto-Germanic *funiz, *fun- (“moisture, mold”); compare vinew.

Noun

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fen (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) A kind of mildew that grows on hops.
    • 1769, The Complete Farmer: Or, a General Dictionary of Husbandry‎[7], 2nd edition, page 339:
      […] whereby the ſtagnating ſap corrupts, and breeds mouldy fen, which often ſpoils whole tracts of, till then, flouriſhing hop-grounds.
    • 1808, Thomas Potts, The British Farmer's Cyclopaedia or, Complete Agricultural Dictionary‎[8], Scatcherd and Letterman, page 96:
      Among these are reckoned the wire worm; the flea, and the fly; the fen or mould; the mildew ; and what are usually called fire blasts.
    • 1848, John Marius Wilson, editor, The Rural Cyclopedia‎[9], volume 2, A. Fullarton, page 698:
      The mould, the fen, or the mouldy-fen, prevails more on hop-grounds which are low, moist, and sheltered, than on such as are high, dry, and open […]

Anagrams

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Catalan

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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fen

  1. inflection of fendre:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Chuukese

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Adjective

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fen

  1. holy

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Adverb

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fen

  1. past tense marker for verbs
  2. already

Czech

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Noun

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fen m inan

  1. fen (unit of currency in China, one-hundredth of a yuan)
    • 1962, Časopis Národního muzea, volume 131, page 165:
      Čínská poštovní správa v roce 1961 vydala ke Dni armády, tj. k 1. srpnu 1961 dvě známky, a to v hodnotách 8 fenů a 10 fenů […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Declension
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Declension of fen (hard masculine inanimate)
singular plural
nominative fen feny
genitive fenu fenů
dative fenu fenům
accusative fen feny
vocative fene feny
locative fenu fenech
instrumental fenem feny

Etymology 2

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Noun

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fen

  1. genitive plural of fena

Further reading

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  • “fen”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)

Dalmatian

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Etymology

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From Latin fīnitus. Compare Italian fino.

Adjective

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fen (feminine faina)

  1. fine
  2. subtle
  3. pure

Faroese

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Etymology

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From Old Norse fen, from Proto-Germanic *fanją.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fen n (genitive singular fens, plural fen)

  1. bog, quagmire

Declension

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n3 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative fen fenið fen fenini
accusative fen fenið fen fenini
dative feni feninum fenum fenunum
genitive fens fensins fena fenanna

Derived terms

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Franco-Provençal

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Etymology

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Inherited from Latin fēnum.

Noun

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fen m (plural fens) (ORB, broad)

  1. hay

References

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  • foin in DicoFranPro: Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – on dicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
  • fen in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu

Friulian

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Etymology

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From Latin fēnum,from faenum.

Noun

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fen m (plural fens)

  1. hay
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Hungarian

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Proto-Ugric *pänV-, from Proto-Finno-Ugric *pänɜ (“grindstone; grind”).[1]

Verb

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fen

  1. (transitive) to sharpen, to whet, to hone
    Synonyms: köszörül, élesít, élez
  2. (dialectal) to rub, to smear
    Synonyms: ken, dörgöl
Conjugation
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Conjugation of fen
Click for archaic forms 1st person sg 2nd person sg
informal 		3rd person sg,
2nd p. sg formal 		1st person pl 2nd person pl
informal 		3rd person pl,
2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive indica­tive pre­sent indef. fenek fensz fen fenünk fentek fennek
def. fenem fened feni fenjük fenitek fenik
2nd obj fenlek
past indef. fentem fentél fent fentünk fentetek fentek
def. fentem fented fente fentük fentétek fenték
2nd obj fentelek
future
Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. fenni fog.
archaic
preterite 		indef. fenék fenél fene fenénk fenétek fenének
def. feném fenéd fené fenénk fenétek fenék
2nd obj fenélek
archaic past Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. fen vala, fent vala/volt.
archaic future indef. fenendek fenendesz fenend fenendünk fenendetek fenendenek
def. fenendem fenended fenendi fenendjük fenenditek fenendik
2nd obj fenendelek
condi­tional pre­sent indef. fennék fennél fenne fennénk fennétek fennének
def. fenném fennéd fenné fennénk
(or fennők) 		fennétek fennék
2nd obj fennélek
past Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. fent volna
sub­junc­tive sub­junc­tive pre­sent indef. fenjek fenj or
fenjél 		fenjen fenjünk fenjetek fenjenek
def. fenjem fend or
fenjed 		fenje fenjük fenjétek fenjék
2nd obj fenjelek
(archaic) past Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. fent légyen
infinitive fenni fennem fenned fennie fennünk fennetek fenniük
other
forms 		verbal noun present part. past part. future part. adverbial participle causative
fenés fenő fent fenendő fenve (fenvén)
The archaic passive conjugation had the same -(t)at/-(t)et suffix as the causative, followed by -ik in the 3rd-person singular
(and the concomitant changes in conditional and subjunctive mostly in the 1st- and 3rd-person singular like with other traditional -ik verbs).
Potential conjugation of fen
Click for archaic forms 1st person sg 2nd person sg
informal 		3rd person sg,
2nd p. sg formal 		1st person pl 2nd person pl
informal 		3rd person pl,
2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive indica­tive pre­sent indef. fenhetek fenhetsz fenhet fenhetünk fenhettek fenhetnek
def. fenhetem fenheted fenheti fenhetjük fenhetitek fenhetik
2nd obj fenhetlek
past indef. fenhettem fenhettél fenhetett fenhettünk fenhettetek fenhettek
def. fenhettem fenhetted fenhette fenhettük fenhettétek fenhették
2nd obj fenhettelek
archaic
preterite 		indef. fenheték fenhetél fenhete fenheténk fenhetétek fenhetének
def. fenhetém fenhetéd fenheté fenheténk fenhetétek fenheték
2nd obj fenhetélek
archaic past Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. fenhet vala, fenhetett vala/volt.
archaic future indef. fenhetendek
or fenandhatok 		fenhetendesz
or fenandhatsz 		fenhetend
or fenandhat 		fenhetendünk
or fenandhatunk 		fenhetendetek
or fenandhattok 		fenhetendenek
or fenandhatnak
def. fenhetendem
or fenandhatom 		fenhetended
or fenandhatod 		fenhetendi
or fenandhatja 		fenhetendjük
or fenandhatjuk 		fenhetenditek
or fenandhatjátok 		fenhetendik
or fenandhatják
2nd obj fenhetendelek
or fenandhatlak
condi­tional pre­sent indef. fenhetnék fenhetnél fenhetne fenhetnénk fenhetnétek fenhetnének
def. fenhetném fenhetnéd fenhetné fenhetnénk
(or fenhetnők) 		fenhetnétek fenhetnék
2nd obj fenhetnélek
past Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. fenhetett volna
sub­junc­tive sub­junc­tive pre­sent indef. fenhessek fenhess or
fenhessél 		fenhessen fenhessünk fenhessetek fenhessenek
def. fenhessem fenhesd or
fenhessed 		fenhesse fenhessük fenhessétek fenhessék
2nd obj fenhesselek
(archaic) past Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. fenhetett légyen
infinitive (fenhetni) (fenhetnem) (fenhetned) (fenhetnie) (fenhetnünk) (fenhetnetek) (fenhetniük)
other
forms 		positive adjective negative adjective adverbial participle
fenhető fenhetetlen (fenhetve / fenhetvén)
Derived terms
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Compound words
Expressions

Etymology 2

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Noun

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fen (plural fenek)

  2. fen (unit of currency in China, one-hundredth of a yuan)
    Holonyms: jüan, zsenminpi
    Meronym: csiao
Declension
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Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
singular plural
nominative fen fenek
accusative fent feneket
dative fennek feneknek
instrumental fennel fenekkel
causal-final fenért fenekért
translative fenné fenekké
terminative fenig fenekig
essive-formal fenként fenekként
essive-modal — —
inessive fenben fenekben
superessive fenen feneken
adessive fennél feneknél
illative fenbe fenekbe
sublative fenre fenekre
allative fenhez fenekhez
elative fenből fenekből
delative fenről fenekről
ablative fentől fenektől
non-attributive
possessive – singular 		fené feneké
non-attributive
possessive – plural 		fenéi fenekéi
Possessive forms of fen
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. fenem fenjeim
2nd person sing. fened fenjeid
3rd person sing. fenje fenjei
1st person plural fenünk fenjeink
2nd person plural fenetek fenjeitek
3rd person plural fenjük fenjeik

References

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  1. ^ Entry #728 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics.

Further reading

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  • (to whet): fen in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Icelandic

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Etymology

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From Old Norse fen, from Proto-Germanic *fanją.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fen n (genitive singular fens, nominative plural fen)

  1. fen, marsh, morass

Declension

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Declension of fen (neuter)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative fen fenið fen fenin
accusative fen fenið fen fenin
dative feni feninu fenum fenunum
genitive fens fensins fena fenanna

Istriot

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Etymology

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From Latin faenum.

Noun

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fen

  1. hay

Lombard

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Etymology

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Akin to Italian fieno, from Latin fenum.

Noun

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fen

  1. hay

Mandarin

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Romanization

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fen

  1. Nonstandard spelling of fēn.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of fén.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of fěn.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of fèn.

Usage notes

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  • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old English fenn; from Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją. The "dung" sense is influenced by Old French fien.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fen (plural fennes)

  1. fen, bog, swamp
  2. dirt, muddiness
  3. dung, feces
  4. (rare) rubbish, refuse
  5. (rare) quagmire, lure

Declension

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Declension of fen
singular plural
nominative, accusative fen fennes
genitive fennes fenne, fennes
dative fenne fennen

Descendants

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  • English: fen
  • Scots: fen
  • Yola: ven

References

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Old English

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Noun

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fen m or n

  1. Alternative form of fenn

Old Norse

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *fanją.

Noun

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fen n (genitive fens, plural fen)

  1. fen, bog, quagmire
    mýrar ok fen
    bogs and fens

Declension

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Declension of fen (strong ja-stem)
neuter singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative fen fenit fen fenin
accusative fen fenit fen fenin
dative feni feninu fenjum fenjunum
genitive fens fensins fenja fenjanna

Descendants

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Further reading

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  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “fen”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈfɛn/
  • Rhymes: -ɛn
  • Syllabification: fen

Etymology 1

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Borrowed from German Föhn, from Old High German phonno, from Vulgar Latin *faōnius, from Latin Favōnius.

Noun

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fen m inan

  1. (meteorology) foehn (warm dry wind blowing down the northern sides of the Alps)
  2. (meteorology) foehn (any similar wind)

Etymology 2

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Borrowed from Chinese 分.

Noun

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fen m inan

  1. fen (unit of Chinese currency)
Declension
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Declension of fen
singular plural
nominative fen feny
genitive fenu fenów
dative fenowi fenom
accusative fen feny
instrumental fenem fenami
locative fenie fenach
vocative fenie feny
Derived terms
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adjective

Further reading

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  • fen in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Serbo-Croatian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from German Föhn.

Noun

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fȇn m (Cyrillic spelling фе̑н)

  1. hair dryer
  2. (meteorology) foehn

Declension

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Declension of fen
singular plural
nominative fen fenovi
genitive fena fenova
dative fenu fenovima
accusative fen fenove
vocative fene fenovi
locative fenu fenovima
instrumental fenom fenovima

Spanish

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Verb

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fen

  1. inflection of far:
    1. third-person plural present subjunctive
    2. third-person plural imperative

Swedish

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Noun

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fen

  1. definite singular of fe

Turkish

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Etymology

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From Ottoman Turkish فن (fen, “kind, variety; art, science”), from Arabic فَنّ (fann), ultimately from Persian پند (pand, “knack, trick”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fen (definite accusative fenni, plural fenler or (archaic) fünun)

  1. (archaic) technic
    Synonym: fen
  2. (dated) science
    Synonym: bilim

Declension

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Declension of fen
singular plural
nominative fen fenler
definite accusative fenni fenleri
dative fenne fenlere
locative fende fenlerde
ablative fenden fenlerden
genitive fennin fenlerin

Synonyms

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References

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Vietnamese

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Etymology

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Derived from English friend.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fen

  1. (Internet slang) Synonym of bạn

Pronoun

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fen

  1. (Internet slang) Synonym of bạn
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