aiféala

Irish

Alternative forms

• aiféile
• aithmhéala, aithmhéile (superseded)

Etymology

From Middle Irish aithméla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈafʲeːlˠə/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈafʲeːɾˠ/, /ˈafʲeːlˠ/ (as if spelled aiféar, aiféal)

Noun

aiféala m (genitive singular aiféala)

1. regret, remorse
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 21:

     ńīl orm̥ ax ȧfēr fȳ n æmšŕ̥, ə tā kȧlc am.

     [Níl orm ach aiféala faoin aimsir atá cailte agam.]

     I regret only the time I’ve lost.

     (literally, “There is nothing on me but regret concerning…”)

     tā ȧfēr rī wōr orm̥, n̄ax vēdĭm n̥ ceŕəvīš šin ə jīnə ʒic.

     [Tá aiféala rímhór orm nach bhféadaim an tseirbhís sin a dhéanamh dhuit.]

     I greatly regret that I can’t perform that service for you.

     (literally, “There is great regret on me that…”)

2. shame, shamefacedness

Declension

Declension of aiféala (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative aiféala vocative a aiféala genitive aiféala dative aiféala forms with the definite article case singular nominative an t-aiféala genitive an aiféala dative leis an aiféala don aiféala

Related terms

• aiféaltas m (“shame, embarrassment; regret”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of aiféala

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
aiféala	n-aiféala	haiféala	t-aiféala

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “aiféala”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “aiṫṁéala”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 22
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “aiféala”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “aiféala”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025