# faoi
## Irish
### Alternative forms

* fá (Ulster)
* fé (Munster)
* fó (dialectal)

### Etymology

A generalization of the third-person masculine singular inflected form, from Old Irish foí, the third-person masculine singular inflected form of fo (“under”), from Proto-Celtic *uɸo, from Proto-Indo-European *upo. Compare Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó), Middle Welsh go. During the Early Modern Irish period, this preposition began to take over the meaning of Old Irish imm (“around, about”) (modern um), which had variant forms ma and lenited fa, bha that were probably conflated with faoi. Doublet of ó (“-wards”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fˠiː/

### Preposition

faoi (plus dative, triggers lenition)
* (standard, Connacht, Ulster) under
** 2015 [2014], Will Collins, translated by Proinsias Mac a' Bhaird, edited by Maura McHugh, Amhrán na Mara (fiction; paperback), Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Howth, Dublin: Cartoon Saloon; Coiscéim, translation of Song of the Sea (in English), →ISBN, page 1:Thuas i dteach an tsolais, faoi réaltaí geala, canann Bronach Amhrán na Mara dá mac Ben atá cúig bliana d'aois.[original: Up in the lighthouse, under twinkling stars, Bronach sings the Song of the Sea to her five-year-old son, Ben.]
* (standard, Connacht) about, concerning
* around, about
    Cuir faoi do choim é.Put it around your waist.
    Chuir mé gad faoi mhuineál an chapaill.I put a halter around the horse's neck.
* times, multiplied by
    a trí faoi a hocht ― three times eight
    faoi dhó ― twice, two times

#### Usage notes

* The standard Irish and Connacht form faoi and the Munster form fé mean both “under” and “about”. In Ulster, these two meanings are split: faoi means “under”, while fá means “about”.

#### Derived terms

* faoi choinne
* faoi chosc
* faoi deara
* faoi iamh
* faoi láthair
* tá faoi
| Basic form | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Copular forms | Copular forms | Copular forms |
| Basic form | an (“the sg”) | na (“the pl”) | mo (“my”) | do (“your”) | a (“his, her, their; which (present)”) | ár (“our”) | ar (“which (past)”) | (before consonant) | (present/future before vowel) | (past/conditional before vowel) |
| de (“from”) | den | de na desna* | de mo dem* | de do ded*, det* | dá | dár | dár | dar | darb | darbh |
| do (“to, for”) | don | do na dosna* | do mo dom* | do do dod*, dot* | dá | dár | dár | dar | darb | darbh |
| faoi (“under, about”) | faoin | faoi na | faoi mo | faoi do | faoina | faoinár | faoinar | faoinar | faoinarb | faoinarbh |
| i (“in”) | sa, san | sna | i mo im* | i do id*, it* | ina | inár | inar | inar | inarb | inarbh |
| le (“with”) | leis an | leis na | le mo lem* | le do led*, let* | lena | lenár | lenar | lenar | lenarb | lenarbh |
| ó (“from, since”) | ón | ó na ósna* | ó mo óm* | ó do ód*, ót* | óna | ónár | ónar | ónar | ónarb | ónarbh |
| trí (“through”) | tríd an | trí na | trí mo | trí do | trína | trínár | trínar | trínar | trínarb | trínarbh |
| *Dialectal. |||||||||||
See also Category:Irish phrasal verbs formed with "faoi"

### Pronoun

faoi (emphatic faoisean)
* third-person singular masculine of faoi

### References

* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “fo, fa, fá”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* ↑ Damian McManus (1994) chapter IV, in K. McCone, D. McManus, C. Ó Háinle, N. Williams, L. Breatnach, editors, Stair na Gaeilge: in ómós do P[h]ádraig Ó Fiannachta (in Irish), Maynooth: Roinn na Sean-Ghaeilge, Coláiste Phádraig, →ISBN, (7), page 438: “Is dócha gurb é tionchar an réamhfhocail fa 'faoi' faoi dear na foirmeacha ma, bha, fa de um (TD lxxii).”
* ↑ Eleanor Knott (1922-26) The Bardic poems of Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn (1550–1591), volume 1, Lúndain, page lxxii
* ↑ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 118

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “faoi”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “fá”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 288