Fenian
English
Etymology
Blend of Old Irish feinne or fianna, plural of fiann (“soldier”), the name of a legendary band of Irish warriors, and Fene or Féni, legendary settlers of Ireland. First attested from 1816.
Pronunciation
- enPR: fē-nē-ən, fēn′yən, IPA(key): /ˈfiːniːən/, /ˈfiːnjən/
Noun
Fenian (plural Fenians)
- (Britain, Ireland) An Irish nationalist or republican.
- (historical) A member of the Fenian Brotherhood or the Irish Republican Brotherhood, Irish republican organizations active in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
- (derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A Catholic, especially one of Irish ethnicity or descent.
- (derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A supporter of Scottish association football club Celtic F.C.
Synonyms
- (derogatory, Irish Catholic or supporter of Celtic F.C): taig, Tim
Related terms
- Fenian Cycle
References
- Etymology of Fenian from Etymonline.com
- Fenian - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Anagrams
- Fannie, fainne