GeezerVison

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Old English

Alternative forms

fēawa, fēawe, fēa

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *fau, in turn from Proto-Germanic *fawaz, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w-.

Cognate with Old Norse fār (Danish få, Swedish få), Old High German fō, fōh; Further cognates via the Proto-Indo-European root include Latin paucus, pauper, puer (“boy”); Ancient Greek παῖς (paîs, “child”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fæ͜ɑːw/
Rhymes: -æ͜ɑːw

Adjective

fēaw (superlative fēawost)

few
- c. 989–992 CE, Ælfric of Eynsham, edited and translated by Benjamin Thorpe, F.S.A., The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church, volume II, London: Richard and John E. Taylor, published 1846, page 516:
  Æfter ðisum ġebede, hē ābād on ðām leġere āne fēawa dagas, mid fefore ġewǣht, þurh wacolon ġebedum, on flōre liċġende, bestrēowod mid axum, on stīðre hǣran, upāhafenum ēagum and handum tō heofenum, and ne ġeswāc his ġebeda ōðþæt hē s̄awlode. [WARNING: may be normalized]
  After this prayer, he remained in sickness for a few days, weakened by fever, in watchful prayer, lying on the floor, bestrewn with ashes, on stiff sackcloth, with eyes and hands turned up toward heaven, and he did not stop his prayers until he passed away.

Usage notes

This word was often used in the weak declension, often indeclinably as feāwa, even when the strong declension would be expected (similar to other quantifiers such as āna or mā, the latter of which was never declined). When used undeclined, it typically took the genitive of the thing it was quantifying.

Declension

Declension of fēaw — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fēaw	fēaw	fēaw
Accusative	fēawne	fēawe	fēaw
Genitive	fēawes	fēawre	fēawes
Dative	fēawum	fēawre	fēawum
Instrumental	fēawe	fēawre	fēawe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fēawe	fēawa, fēawe	fēaw
Accusative	fēawe	fēawa, fēawe	fēaw
Genitive	fēawra	fēawra	fēawra
Dative	fēawum	fēawum	fēawum
Instrumental	fēawum	fēawum	fēawum

Declension of fēaw — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fēawa	fēawe	fēawe
Accusative	fēawan	fēawan	fēawe
Genitive	fēawan	fēawan	fēawan
Dative	fēawan	fēawan	fēawan
Instrumental	fēawan	fēawan	fēawan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	fēawan	fēawan	fēawan
Accusative	fēawan	fēawan	fēawan
Genitive	fēawra, fēawena	fēawra, fēawena	fēawra, fēawena
Dative	fēawum	fēawum	fēawum
Instrumental	fēawum	fēawum	fēawum

Derived terms

Descendants

Middle English: fewe
- English: few
- Middle Scots: few
  - Scots: few, fyow
- Yola: vew, vewe

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