Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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adj
Of or relating to roving bands of hunter-warriors in ancient Ireland, especially the band led by the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill in Irish mythology; (generally) of or relating to the people of ancient Ireland.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, historical, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of or relating to organizations opposing British rule in Ireland, especially the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood which were active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, also, historical, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of or relating to a Roman Catholic, chiefly one of Irish descent or ethnicity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, not-comparable, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of or relating to the Scottish association football club Celtic Football Club.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, not-comparable, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A member of a roving band of hunter-warriors in ancient Ireland, especially the band led by the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill in Irish mythology; (generally) a person of ancient Ireland.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, historical, in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A member of an organization opposing British rule in Ireland, especially the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood which were active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; (generally) an Irish nationalist or republican.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, also, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: Orangey, Prod
noun
A Roman Catholic person, chiefly one of Irish descent or ethnicity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: taig, Tim
Antonyms: Orangey, Prod
noun
A supporter of the Scottish association football club Celtic Football Club.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: taig, Tim
Antonyms: none provided
History
Partly from both of the following: * from Old Irish Féni (“originally the legendary people who inhabited Ireland; later the Irish people generally, especially those belonging to the social class of free citizens”, plural); further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weǵh- (“to bring; to transport”) (whence wagon and wain; referring to the use of chariots); and * from Irish fian, fiann (“roving band of (legendary) warrior-hunters”) (generally a view taken by English-speaking scholars, possibly due to the similarity between Old Irish Féni and Irish féine, féinne, the genitive singular forms of fian and fiann), from Old Irish fían, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyh1- (“to chase, pursue”); + English -ian (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘from; related to’; and forming nouns with the sense ‘one from or related to’). The adjective is attested slightly earlier than the noun.
Across languages
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
