feall

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /fʲɑːl̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /fʲal̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish fell (“deceit, treachery”), from Proto-Celtic *welsos.

Noun

feall m (genitive singular fill, nominative plural feallanna)

1. deceit, treachery, bad faith
2. let-down, failure

Declension

Declension of feall (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative feall feallanna vocative a fhill a fheallanna genitive fill feallanna dative feall feallanna forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an feall na feallanna genitive an fhill na bhfeallanna dative leis an bhfeall don fheall leis na feallanna

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish fellaid (“act deceitfully”), from Old Irish fell.

Verb

feall (present analytic feallann, future analytic feallfaidh, verbal noun fealladh, past participle feallta)

1. (intransitive, with ar) prove false to, betray; fail; cheat

Conjugation

conjugation of feall (first conjugation – A)

verbal noun	fealladh
past participle	feallta
tense	singular			plural			relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative
present	feallaim	feallann tú; feallair†	feallann sé, sí	feallaimid	feallann sibh	feallann siad; feallaid†	a fheallann; a fheallas / a bhfeallann*	fealltar
past	d'fheall mé; d'fheallas / fheall mé‡; fheallas‡	d'fheall tú; d'fheallais / fheall tú; fheallais‡	d'fheall sé, sí / fheall sé, sí‡	d'fheallamar; d'fheall muid / fheallamar; fheall muid‡	d'fheall sibh; d'fheallabhair / fheall sibh; fheallabhair‡	d'fheall siad; d'fhealladar / fheall siad; fhealladar‡	a d'fheall / ar fheall*	fealladh
past habitual	d'fheallainn / fheallainn‡; bhfeallainn‡‡	d'fhealltá / fhealltá‡; bhfealltᇇ	d'fhealladh sé, sí / fhealladh sé, sí‡; bhfealladh sé, s퇇	d'fheallaimis; d'fhealladh muid / fheallaimis; fhealladh muid‡; bhfeallaimis‡‡; bhfealladh muid‡‡	d'fhealladh sibh / fhealladh sibh‡; bhfealladh sibh‡‡	d'fheallaidís; d'fhealladh siad / fheallaidís; fhealladh siad‡; bhfeallaidís‡‡; bhfealladh siad‡‡	a d'fhealladh / a bhfealladh*	d'fhealltaí / fhealltaí‡; bhfeallta퇇
future	feallfaidh mé; feallfad	feallfaidh tú; feallfair†	feallfaidh sé, sí	feallfaimid; feallfaidh muid	feallfaidh sibh	feallfaidh siad; feallfaid†	a fheallfaidh; a fheallfas / a bhfeallfaidh*	feallfar
conditional	d'fheallfainn / fheallfainn‡; bhfeallfainn‡‡	d'fheallfá / fheallfá‡; bhfeallfᇇ	d'fheallfadh sé, sí / fheallfadh sé, sí‡; bhfeallfadh sé, s퇇	d'fheallfaimis; d'fheallfadh muid / fheallfaimis‡; fheallfadh muid‡; bhfeallfaimis‡‡; bhfeallfadh muid‡‡	d'fheallfadh sibh / fheallfadh sibh‡; bhfeallfadh sibh‡‡	d'fheallfaidís; d'fheallfadh siad / fheallfaidís‡; fheallfadh siad‡; bhfeallfaidís‡‡; bhfeallfadh siad‡‡	a d'fheallfadh / a bhfeallfadh*	d'fheallfaí / fheallfaí‡; bhfeallfa퇇
subjunctive
present	go bhfealla mé; go bhfeallad†	go bhfealla tú; go bhfeallair†	go bhfealla sé, sí	go bhfeallaimid; go bhfealla muid	go bhfealla sibh	go bhfealla siad; go bhfeallaid†	—	go bhfealltar
past	dá bhfeallainn	dá bhfealltá	dá bhfealladh sé, sí	dá bhfeallaimis; dá bhfealladh muid	dá bhfealladh sibh	dá bhfeallaidís; dá bhfealladh siad	—	dá bhfealltaí
imperative
–	feallaim	feall	fealladh sé, sí	feallaimis	feallaigí; feallaidh†	feallaidís	—	fealltar

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Synonyms

• (cheat): déan caimiléireacht ar, déan cneámhaireacht ar

Derived terms

• feallaire (“deceiver, betrayer”)
• fealltóir (“betrayer, traitor”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of feall

radical	lenition	eclipsis
feall	fheall	bhfeall

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

Middle English

Noun

feall

1. alternative form of feal

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæ͜ɑll/, [fæ͜ɑɫ]

Noun

feall n

1. alternative form of fiell

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fjal̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish fell (“deceit, treachery”), from Proto-Celtic *welsos.

Noun

feall f

1. treachery, conspiracy, trickery, deceit, falsehood, guile
2. treason

Derived terms

• fealla-dhà (“joke”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish fellaid (“act deceitfully”), from Old Irish fell.

Verb

feall (past dh'fheall, future feallaidh, verbal noun fealladh)

1. deceive, betray, impose upon

Mutation

Mutation of feall

radical	lenition
feall	fheall

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

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “feall”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “feall”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[2], Stirling, →ISBN