fiáin

Irish

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish fíadan, from Old Irish fíad (“game, wild animals”) (compare Breton gouez), from Proto-Celtic *wēdus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁-u-s.

Alternative forms

• fiain (Munster)
• fiadhain, fiadháin (superseded)

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈfʲiənʲ/, [ˈfʲiːɛ̯nʲ] (corresponding to the form fiain)
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈfʲiːɑːnʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈfʲi.ænʲ/

Adjective

fiáin (genitive singular masculine fiáin, genitive singular feminine fiáine, plural fiáine, comparative fiáine)

1. wild, uncultivated
2. wild, undomesticated
3. uncontrolled
4. tempestuous
5. intensely eager

Declension

Declension of fiáin

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	fiáin	fhiáin	fiáine; fhiáine²
Vocative	fhiáin		fiáine
Genitive		fiáine	fiáine	fiáin
Dative	fiáin; fhiáin¹	fhiáin	fiáine; fhiáine²
Comparative	níos fiáine
Superlative	is fiáine

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

Synonyms

• (wild): fia

Derived terms

• ar fiáin
• beach fhiáin
• cat fiáin
• falcaire fiáin
• fiánta
• i bhfiáin
• máirtín fiáin
• oinniún fiáin
• raidis fhiáin
• silín fiáin
• siocaire fiáin
• úll fiáin

 

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fiáin”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “fiáin”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “fiáin”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Etymology 2

Noun

fiáin m sg

1. vocative/genitive singular of fián

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fiáin	fhiáin	bhfiáin
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.