finscéal

Irish

Alternative forms

• finnscéal, finn-scéal, finnsceul, finnsgéal, finn-sgéal, finnsgeul (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish findscél, from Old Irish finn (“fair”) + scél (“story”).

Noun

finscéal m (genitive singular finscéil, nominative plural finscéalta)

1. legend (story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events)
2. fable (fictitious narration to enforce some useful truth or precept)
3. fairy tale (folktale)
4. fanciful story, romantic tale

Declension

Declension of finscéal

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative finscéal finscéalta Vocative a fhinscéil a fhinscéalta Genitive finscéil finscéalta Dative finscéal finscéalta

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an finscéal na finscéalta Genitive an fhinscéil na bhfinscéalta Dative leis an bhfinscéal don fhinscéal leis na finscéalta

Derived terms

• is iontaí fírinne ná finscéal (“truth is stranger than fiction”)
• finscéalach
• finscéalaí
• finscéalaíocht

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
finscéal	fhinscéal	bhfinscéal
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), “1 finn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “finnscéal”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 315
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “finscéal”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN