fáidh

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fáith, fáid, from Proto-Celtic *wātis (“poet”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéh₂tis, from *weh₂t- (“possessed, excited”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /fˠɑːɟ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /fˠɑːj/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fˠaːj/

Noun

fáidh m (genitive singular fáidh, nominative plural fáithe or fáidheanna)

1. (religion) seer, prophet

   Synonyms: fáidheadóir, fáistineach, tairngire

2. wise man, sage

   Synonym: saoi

Declension

Declension of fáidh (fourth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative fáidh fáithe vocative a fháidh a fháithe genitive fáidh fáithe dative fáidh fáithe forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an fáidh na fáithe genitive an fháidh na bhfáithe dative leis an bhfáidh don fháidh leis na fáithe

Derived terms

• banfháidh, fáidhbhean (“wise woman, female sage; seeress, prophetess”)
• fáidheadóir (“prophet; predictor, soothsayer; profound speaker, sage”)
• fáidhiúil (“prophetic; wise, sagacious”, adjective)

Related terms

• fáidheadóireacht (“prophecy, prediction; wise, sagacious, speech”)
• fáidhiúlacht (“prophetic quality; sagaciousness”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of fáidh

radical	lenition	eclipsis
fáidh	fháidh	bhfáidh

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) “fáidh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “fáidh”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “fáidh”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm