fiach

See also: fíach

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʲiəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲia̯x/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish fïach, from Proto-Celtic *wesākos. Cognate with Welsh gwyach (“grebe”).

Noun

fiach m (genitive singular fiaigh or féich, nominative plural fiacha)

1. raven

   Synonyms: Dónall dubh, fiach dubh

Declension

Declension of fiach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative fiach fiacha Vocative a fhiaigh a fhiacha Genitive fiaigh fiach Dative fiach fiacha

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an fiach na fiacha Genitive an fhiaigh na bhfiach Dative leis an bhfiach don fhiach leis na fiacha

• Alternative genitive singular forms: féich, féigh, fiaich

Derived terms

• cnáimhfhiach
• fiach mara
• garrfhiach (“vulture”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish fíach (“debt”).

Noun

fiach m (genitive singular féich, nominative plural fiacha)

1. (usually in the plural) debt

   Synonym: fiachas

Declension

Declension of fiach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative fiach fiacha Vocative a fhéich a fhiacha Genitive féich fiach Dative fiach fiacha

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an fiach na fiacha Genitive an fhéich na bhfiach Dative leis an bhfiach don fhiach leis na fiacha

Derived terms

• bailiú fiach (“debt collection”)
• comhdhlúthú fiach (“debt consolidation”)
• d’fhiacha (“incumbent”)
• fiach fadtéarmach (“long-term debt”)
• fiach náisiúnta (“national debt”)
• maoiniú fiach (“debt financing”)
• státfhiach (“state debt”)

 

Etymology 3

From Old Irish fíadach. By surface analysis, fia (“deer”) +‎ -ach. The verb is from the noun.

Alternative forms

• fiadhach (superseded)

Noun

fiach m (genitive singular fiaigh)

1. verbal noun of fiach
2. hunting

   Synonyms: sealgaireacht, seilg

3. chasing

Declension

Declension of fiach

First declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative fiach Vocative a fhiaigh Genitive fiaigh Dative fiach

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an fiach Genitive an fhiaigh Dative leis an bhfiach don fhiach

Derived terms

• capall fiaigh
• corn fiaigh
• fiach pocadán
• gadhar fiaigh
• liopard fiaigh
• madra fiaigh Weimar (“Weimaraner”)
• Madraí Fiaigh
• púdar fiaigh (“sporting powder”)
• spáinnéar fiaigh (“field spaniel”)

 

Verb

fiach (present analytic fiachann, future analytic fiachfaidh, verbal noun fiach, past participle fiachta)

1. to hunt, chase

Conjugation

conjugation of fiach (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	fiachaim	fiachann tú; fiachair†	fiachann sé, sí	fiachaimid	fiachann sibh	fiachann siad; fiachaid†	a fhiachann; a fhiachas / a bhfiachann*; a bhfiachas*	fiachtar
	past	d'fhiach mé; d'fhiachas / fhiach mé‡; fhiachas‡	d'fhiach tú; d'fhiachais / fhiach tú; fhiachais‡	d'fhiach sé, sí / fhiach sé, sí‡	d'fhiachamar; d'fhiach muid / fhiachamar; fhiach muid‡	d'fhiach sibh; d'fhiachabhair / fhiach sibh; fhiachabhair‡	d'fhiach siad; d'fhiachadar / fhiach siad; fhiachadar‡	a d'fhiach / ar fhiach*	fiachadh
	past habitual	d'fhiachainn / fhiachainn‡; bhfiachainn‡‡	d'fhiachtá / fhiachtá‡; bhfiachtᇇ	d'fhiachadh sé, sí / fhiachadh sé, sí‡; bhfiachadh sé, s퇇	d'fhiachaimis; d'fhiachadh muid / fhiachaimis; fhiachadh muid‡; bhfiachaimis‡‡; bhfiachadh muid‡‡	d'fhiachadh sibh / fhiachadh sibh‡; bhfiachadh sibh‡‡	d'fhiachaidís; d'fhiachadh siad / fhiachaidís; fhiachadh siad‡; bhfiachaidís‡‡; bhfiachadh siad‡‡	a d'fhiachadh / a bhfiachadh*	d'fhiachtaí / fhiachtaí‡; bhfiachta퇇
future		fiachfaidh mé; fiachfad	fiachfaidh tú; fiachfair†	fiachfaidh sé, sí	fiachfaimid; fiachfaidh muid	fiachfaidh sibh	fiachfaidh siad; fiachfaid†	a fhiachfaidh; a fhiachfas / a bhfiachfaidh*; a bhfiachfas*	fiachfar
conditional		d'fhiachfainn / fhiachfainn‡; bhfiachfainn‡‡	d'fhiachfá / fhiachfá‡; bhfiachfᇇ	d'fhiachfadh sé, sí / fhiachfadh sé, sí‡; bhfiachfadh sé, s퇇	d'fhiachfaimis; d'fhiachfadh muid / fhiachfaimis‡; fhiachfadh muid‡; bhfiachfaimis‡‡; bhfiachfadh muid‡‡	d'fhiachfadh sibh / fhiachfadh sibh‡; bhfiachfadh sibh‡‡	d'fhiachfaidís; d'fhiachfadh siad / fhiachfaidís‡; fhiachfadh siad‡; bhfiachfaidís‡‡; bhfiachfadh siad‡‡	a d'fhiachfadh / a bhfiachfadh*	d'fhiachfaí / fhiachfaí‡; bhfiachfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go bhfiacha mé; go bhfiachad†	go bhfiacha tú; go bhfiachair†	go bhfiacha sé, sí	go bhfiachaimid; go bhfiacha muid	go bhfiacha sibh	go bhfiacha siad; go bhfiachaid†	—	go bhfiachtar
	past	dá bhfiachainn	dá bhfiachtá	dá bhfiachadh sé, sí	dá bhfiachaimis; dá bhfiachadh muid	dá bhfiachadh sibh	dá bhfiachaidís; dá bhfiachadh siad	—	dá bhfiachtaí
imperative		fiachaim	fiach	fiachadh sé, sí	fiachaimis	fiachaigí; fiachaidh†	fiachaidís	—	fiachtar
verbal noun		fiach
past participle		fiachta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Etymology 4

Verb

fiach (present analytic fiachann, future analytic fiachfaidh, verbal noun fiachaint, past participle fiachta)

1. Alternative form of féach (“to look”)

Conjugation

conjugation of fiach (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	fiachaim	fiachann tú; fiachair†	fiachann sé, sí	fiachaimid	fiachann sibh	fiachann siad; fiachaid†	a fhiachann; a fhiachas / a bhfiachann*; a bhfiachas*	fiachtar
	past	d'fhiach mé; d'fhiachas / fhiach mé‡; fhiachas‡	d'fhiach tú; d'fhiachais / fhiach tú; fhiachais‡	d'fhiach sé, sí / fhiach sé, sí‡	d'fhiachamar; d'fhiach muid / fhiachamar; fhiach muid‡	d'fhiach sibh; d'fhiachabhair / fhiach sibh; fhiachabhair‡	d'fhiach siad; d'fhiachadar / fhiach siad; fhiachadar‡	a d'fhiach / ar fhiach*	fiachadh
	past habitual	d'fhiachainn / fhiachainn‡; bhfiachainn‡‡	d'fhiachtá / fhiachtá‡; bhfiachtᇇ	d'fhiachadh sé, sí / fhiachadh sé, sí‡; bhfiachadh sé, s퇇	d'fhiachaimis; d'fhiachadh muid / fhiachaimis; fhiachadh muid‡; bhfiachaimis‡‡; bhfiachadh muid‡‡	d'fhiachadh sibh / fhiachadh sibh‡; bhfiachadh sibh‡‡	d'fhiachaidís; d'fhiachadh siad / fhiachaidís; fhiachadh siad‡; bhfiachaidís‡‡; bhfiachadh siad‡‡	a d'fhiachadh / a bhfiachadh*	d'fhiachtaí / fhiachtaí‡; bhfiachta퇇
future		fiachfaidh mé; fiachfad	fiachfaidh tú; fiachfair†	fiachfaidh sé, sí	fiachfaimid; fiachfaidh muid	fiachfaidh sibh	fiachfaidh siad; fiachfaid†	a fhiachfaidh; a fhiachfas / a bhfiachfaidh*; a bhfiachfas*	fiachfar
conditional		d'fhiachfainn / fhiachfainn‡; bhfiachfainn‡‡	d'fhiachfá / fhiachfá‡; bhfiachfᇇ	d'fhiachfadh sé, sí / fhiachfadh sé, sí‡; bhfiachfadh sé, s퇇	d'fhiachfaimis; d'fhiachfadh muid / fhiachfaimis‡; fhiachfadh muid‡; bhfiachfaimis‡‡; bhfiachfadh muid‡‡	d'fhiachfadh sibh / fhiachfadh sibh‡; bhfiachfadh sibh‡‡	d'fhiachfaidís; d'fhiachfadh siad / fhiachfaidís‡; fhiachfadh siad‡; bhfiachfaidís‡‡; bhfiachfadh siad‡‡	a d'fhiachfadh / a bhfiachfadh*	d'fhiachfaí / fhiachfaí‡; bhfiachfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go bhfiacha mé; go bhfiachad†	go bhfiacha tú; go bhfiachair†	go bhfiacha sé, sí	go bhfiachaimid; go bhfiacha muid	go bhfiacha sibh	go bhfiacha siad; go bhfiachaid†	—	go bhfiachtar
	past	dá bhfiachainn	dá bhfiachtá	dá bhfiachadh sé, sí	dá bhfiachaimis; dá bhfiachadh muid	dá bhfiachadh sibh	dá bhfiachaidís; dá bhfiachadh siad	—	dá bhfiachtaí
imperative		fiachaim	fiach	fiachadh sé, sí	fiachaimis	fiachaigí; fiachaidh†	fiachaidís	—	fiachtar
verbal noun		fiachaint
past participle		fiachta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fiach	fhiach	bhfiach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *wesākos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸʲi.əx/, [ˈɸʲi.ax]

Noun

fïach m (nominative plural fïaich)

1. raven

   Synonyms: bran, trogan

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	fïach	fïachL	fïaichL
Vocative	fïaich	fïachL	fïachuH
Accusative	fïachN	fïachL	fïachuH
Genitive	fïaichL	fïach	fïachN
Dative	fïuchL	fïachaib	fïachaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: fiach
• Manx: feeagh
• Scottish Gaelic: fitheach

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “fiach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish fíach (“debt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fiəx/
• (Lewis) IPA^(key): [fiʊx˧], [fiʊx˧˥]

Noun

fiach m (genitive singular fèich, plural fiachan)

1. worth, value

   Synonym: luach

2. debt

   Synonym: comain

Adjective

fiach

1. worth, worthy, worthwhile
2. valuable

   Synonyms: prìseil, luachmhor

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
fiach	fhiach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “fiach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN