feá

• IPA^(key): /fʲaː/

From Middle Irish fed (“length, interval”), from Old Irish ed. Doublet of feadh.

feá m (genitive singular as substantive feá, genitive as verbal noun feáite, nominative plural feánna)

1. fathom (unit of length)
2. verbal noun of feáigh (“to fathom”)

As substantive:

As verbal noun:

• feadh (superseded)

• “feadh” at the Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926 of the Royal Irish Academy.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “2 ed”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• “feaḋ” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 302.
• "feá" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

Perhaps a borrowing from Old French fau, from Latin fāgus? This word is missing from the Dictionary of the Irish Language so its history is difficult to ascertain.

feá f (genitive singular feá, nominative plural feánna)

1. beech (tree of genus Fagus)

• feagha (superseded)

• “feagha” at the Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926 of the Royal Irish Academy.
• “feaġa” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 303.
• "feá" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

See the etymology of the main entry.

feá

1. genitive singular of fiodh

• feadha (superseded)

feá

1. Alternative form of feag (“rush, reed”)