fánaí

Irish

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Compare fán.

Noun

fánaí m (genitive singular fánaí, nominative plural fánaithe)

1. wanderer, vagrant
2. casual worker; potterer
3. odd, chance, casual, person

Declension

Declension of fánaí

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative fánaí fánaithe Vocative a fhánaí a fhánaithe Genitive fánaí fánaithe Dative fánaí fánaithe

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an fánaí na fánaithe Genitive an fhánaí na bhfánaithe Dative leis an bhfánaí don fhánaí leis na fánaithe

Synonyms

• fánadóir m, fánaire m

Derived terms

• fánaíocht f (“(act of) wandering, vagrancy; (act of) rambling, roving; hiking; casualness, haphazardness; aimlessness, purposelessness; diminishment, decline; drift”)

Etymology 2

Noun

fánaí f (genitive singular fánaí)

1. wandering, vagrancy
2. casualness, haphazardness
3. scarceness, rareness

Declension

Declension of fánaí

Fourth declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative fánaí Vocative a fhánaí Genitive fánaí Dative fánaí

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an fhánaí Genitive na fánaí Dative leis an bhfánaí don fhánaí

Derived terms

• fear fánaí (“casual, haphazard, worker”)

Etymology 3

Adjective

fánaí

1. inflection of fánach:
   1. genitive singular feminine
   2. comparative degree

Etymology 4

Noun

fánaí f pl

1. plural of fána (“downward slope, declivity; depression, hollow; droop”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fánaí	fhánaí	bhfánaí
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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