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, no plural)

bare forms 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

Mutated forms of fánaí

radical	lenition	eclipsis
fánaí	fhánaí	bhfánaí

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