n o, m. acc. to Vendryes,
RC xxix 204
`that which
indicates' (√ uet- `
declare
'), hence
(a) a characteristic
badge or emblem (of office or class), insignia (used both of
dress and ornaments): e fethol .i. a n-étach sacaird (gl.
ephoth)
Tur. 87
. f.¤ līnda imbi (of a herald)
TBC-I¹ 1112
.
f.¤ maith an airdrigh tar cend a tuaithi (gl. on: sēt cacha
mārflatha, as a pledge),
Laws v 244.22 Comm.
f.¤ connduala
(distinctive appurtenance of a chief's wife)
384.24
; expld.
by:
fethal comdala ... nó ... eccusc comduala .i. in merge
no in brat sída no in rinde,
O'Dav. 992
, but see next ex.
(b) a device or ornament on a shield:
sceith co fethul chonduala,
LL 248b3
(
TBFr. 39
).
sce[i]th co fethluib conndualae
┐ con n-imlib findruini,
IT iii 239.139
.
(c) a halidom
, an
object regarded as sacred, and sometimes used for swearing
on; in Christian lit. esp. of the appurtenances of Divine
service
. f.¤ .i. cumdach comartha nó minn, ut est imdénatsom
la fethla `f.¤ i.e. a shrine or mark, or relic, ut est, they prove
with relics'
O'Dav. 899
.
fetal cach cumtach,
Phil. Soc. Trans. 1859, 209
.
cūic prīmfethail cecha ec(ol)sa ... bachall ┐
menistir ┐ cros ┐ cloc ┐ catur (.i. soiscela),
Trip. xxi
.
soire ecalsi Dé ... cona fethlaib,
Cáin Ad. 34
. sechip
f.¤ foa tosar a ndubethech any emblem on which a down-right perjury is sworn
Ériu vii 156 § 15
. f.¤ na feart
(of a bell),
Fen. 236.18
. le cois na ffethal ffertach
with the wonder-working insignia (of St. Maedóc's halidoms)
BNnÉ 246.10
.
is deside rocumtaigit scrína ┐
[ḟ]ethla náem hErenn,
LL 274a7
.
scrín Mancháin do
cumhdach ... feibh as deach ro cumhdaighedh feathal
a nErinn,
AFM ii 1156.13
. crand do chor a fethlaib `casting
lots out of reliquaries'
IT iii 192.5
(= chalices ? Cf.
dobertar
na crunna i cailech for altōir,
Cáin Ad. 46
). Of pagan
halidoms used in attestation :
etag ┐ iath anmann fethal
la gentiu, ut dicitur: dar an iath-sae ...,
O'Mulc. 469
.
Fig. of a person: ba he ... an f.¤ coisrecctha an righ nemdha
dognídh sídh ... eter Dia ┐ duine (of St. Barre)
BNnÉ 20.22
(cf.
Lism. L. 2463
where same expression is used of Senán
and the word f. is glossed `mincúis'). f.¤ co faebraighi (of
Christ)
ZCP viii 203.26
.
cartait glonn fri f.¤ find,
AFM ii
590.10
(poem), where f.¤
seems to refer to the bishop Mael
Maedoc.
(d) a valuable drinking-horn or cup
(B. na f. ?
Cf.
IT iii 192.5
above) :
f.¤ .i. corn cumdaigh argoid
,
Corm. Y
653
. O'Cl. (feathal).
is he f.¤ luigid (= luigi ?) sil Eogain
.i. bernan Emin,
Irish Texts iii 2.11
(probably a bell, see
bernán).
na tri feathla is deach do boi a nEalga,
ZCP viii
103.1
(B. na f.) =
na tri cuirn,
Ériu ii 186.19
. Cf.
f.¤ .i. comdus
(= comadas ?) ind dail,
O'Mulc. 596
=
Phil. Soc. Trans. 1859, 209
.
(e)
distinctive shape or appearance, aspect, likeness:
feuthal
.i. eugasg,
Corm. Y 669
. feathal .i. éccosc no cuma, O'Cl.
gó go ffeathol ffior ┐ fior go bḟethal ngua,
Ériu xiii 14.20
.
f.¤ ferda,
TBC-LL¹ 5741
.
fethol chuid Ailline,
RC xiii 222.43
(B.
na f.) =
delb cinn A.,
MS. Mat. 473
. biaid i fethol cech míl
he will assume the form of every animal
Imr. Brain § 53
. cidh
deghnie drochfethol? ol sé `what makes thee look so ill ?'
RC xii 64.15
(leg. -féth; -ol being due to dittography ? Cf.
5 féth). finnḟethal frestal `attendance of bright appearance'
(of angels)
ACC 22
(
RC xx 166
). Cf. also: Foibne, feochair
in f.¤
'fierce of feature'
Metr. Dinds. iv 86y
. goiridh Sesar
Cruithnigh .i. picti, do Brethnuibh do cuiredh aighidh fedil
do bhód ┐ do bhadar orra (= Caesar calls the Britons picti
because they tattooed their faces with woad and madder)
24 N 2, 162
= Todd,
Todd Nenn. vi 4
(Dubháltach Mac Fir Bhisigh).
If `fedil' = fethail (or fethal, g
p.) it applies to the figures
of animals, etc., mentioned in the previous sentence.