v (Mid.Ir. finnaid) finds out, discovers . In O.Ir. a depon.; three different stems are used in conjugation: (1) finn- `discover', in imper., indic. pres. and imperf. (2) fes(s)-, fias- in subj., fut. and cond., also pass. pret. and gerundive. (3) fit-, fet- in pret. act. with force of pres. `know'. For -fitir see ZCP xv 204 ; Norsk tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap iv 426 ; Indogermanische Forschungen xxxix 220 . For the form fo-retar see Ériu xii 222 ; for forms without ro- in answering a question see ibid. 219 .

O.Ir. and early Mid.Ir. forms: pres. 3 s. rud-finnadar, Ml. 46c24 . rofinnathar, LL 152b7 (= rofinnadar, Metr. Dinds. iii 448.107 ). 3 pl. nad finnatar , Ml. 99b10 . imp. 2 s. finta, LL 251a18 . TBC-LL¹ 199 , 649 . fintai, LU 7572 ( BDD 110 ). finna, LU 5400 . 3 s. finnad, Wb. 29a17 . SR 1691 . 1 pl. finnamár, LU 9212 ( FB 94 ). findamar, Ériu ii 102.1 . findam, TBC-I¹ 2361 . 2 pl. finnaid, LU 4750 . TBC-LL¹ 728 . 3 pl. finnatar, LU 3476 ( SCC 25 ). findat, ZCP v 23.27 . subj. pres. 1 s. co fessur , SR 2883 . TBC-LL¹ 1399 . acht co fíasur , LU 3373 ( SCC 16 ). Cf. cia bo ḟessarur-sa (sic), LB 68b2 ( PH 5911 ). 2 s. rofésser, Fél. Feb. 4 ; dian fésser, Oct. 24 (: crésen, créssen). rofessir, Laws iv 340.3 . confeser, Wb. 29a22 . confeiser, Sg. 209b30 . co fesser , SR 1327 , 6113 . co fesara , PH 1813 , 6645 . 3 s. con-festar, Wb. 12c38 . 28d11 . Ml. 51b10 . arin festar , LU 3509 ( SCC 27 ). rofessadar, Rawl. 80b26 ( ZCP iii 24.2 ). dia fessara , LL 285b49 ( KMMisc. 208.12 ). nad fiastar , Wb. 22d3 , is a fut. form, cf. na fiastar , Laws v 462.18 , and: nach fiasara , Leb. Cert. 234.22 . subj. impf. 1 s. rufessin, Ml. 59b1 . n[i]confessin, 117d4 . dia fessaind , TBC-LL¹ 932 . 2 s. rofesta-su, Wb. 10a10 . dia festa-su , CRR 4 ( LL 171a37 ). 3 s. raḟesed, Sg. 148a6 . ro-das-fessad, SR 562 (: meth). rofessad, TBC-LL¹ 1766 . amal nin-fessed , Wb. 16a2 . cini fesed , Thes. i 3.39 . 1 pl. rofesmais, LU 6760 ( BDD 28 ). co fesmais , 7069 ( BDD 73 ). 2 pl. rufeste, Wb. 9c8 . 3 pl. co festais , LU 1833 . TBC-LL¹ 62 . fut. 1 s. rofessur-sa, Wb. 9a21 . ro essur , IT ii1 179.157 . 3 s. rufiastar, Ml. 111c13 . ni fiastar , Wb. 12d18 . rofestar, 12d27 . 1 pl. rofessammar, SR 1265 . 2 pl. rofessid, Wb. 7d6 . 3 pl. rofessatar, Ml. 69b1 . pret. pres. 1 s. rofetar, Wb. 16d7 . LU 1285 . rafetar, TBC-LL¹ 60 . ni fetar-sa , Wb. 28c10 . ni fetor-sa , Thes. ii 241.10 ( Ardm. 18a1 ). nad etar-sa , LL 265b35 ( MU 26.26 ). nochon ḟetur , LU 4761 . do-fetar, Anecd. v 2.11 . fetar (in reply), Ériu xii 219 . 2 s. in fetar-su , IT ii1 179.156 . nad fetar , TBC-LL¹ 930 . nach fetar-su , PH 1374 . nach fetura-sa , 719 ? 1 s.). 3 s. rofitir, Wb. 24d5 . SR 2029 . amal rundfitir, Ml. 140c10 . lasse ro-ind-fiteir , ZCP vii 481.27 ( Enchir. Aug. 74b ). ni fitir , Wb. 26d14 . 1 pl. rofitemmar, Wb. 6c16 . 12c5 . 14b19 . -fitemmar, 12c6 . 16a29 . Sg. 32b5 . rofetamar, Trip. 42.11 . LU 5650 . TBC-LL¹ 1235 . rafetammár, LU 4973 . -fetammar, Ml. 37a10 . TBC-LL¹ 8 . -fetammár, LU 1779 . 2 pl. rofitid, Wb. 7d6 . rafitid-si, 18b9 . rofitis, 6a18 . 14c12 . (= rofitid-si). 3 pl. rofitetar, 23b12 . -fitetar, 27a11 . Ml. 95a12 . rafetatar, 54b14 . -fetatar, 96b2 . Cf. ni etetár , Wb. 21d1 . rafetar, 28c12 . Pass. pres. s. -fintar, Sg. 200b13 . Ml. 30a3 . pl. rofinnatar, Wb. 29a28 , 30 . subj pres. s. rufessar, Ml. 24d17 . dia fessar , 24d14 . Mid.Ir. rofestar, SM Facs. 33a1 ( Laws ii 272.12 ). cu festur , Laws ii 6.29 Comm. co festar, PH 7645 . subj. impf. con festa , Sg. 26b8 . co fessta , IT i 118.10 . pret. pres. s. rofess , Wb. 23b9 . rofes, Ml. 80b11 . nad fess , 80b10 (see also 1 fes(s)). pl. rofessa, Lib. Hymn. i 38.34 . nach fessa , 33 . ní fessa , Fél. Prol. 76 . part. necess. fissi, Thes. ii 308.18 . Vn. fis (O.Ir. fius) q.v.

In Mid.Ir. the vb. undergoes a twofold development:

(1) finn- ` find out ' develops subj., fut. and pret. forms act. and pass.: fut. 1 s. -finnub-sa, TBC-LL¹ 5759 . ni fhindub-sa , PH 2017 . 1 pl. -findfam, LL 268b39 ( MU 44.27 ). cond. 1 s. no [ḟ]indfaind-sa , PH 20 . 3 s. na findfad , 2012 . Cf. fo-r-indfad, LL 264a18 , 19 ( MU 16.9 , 11 ). ? pret. 3 s. ro find , BB 16b20 . 3 pl. niro fhinnsat , Marco P. 60 . vn. finnachtain, finnad.

(2) The subj. and fut. forms with fes- survive and are associated with the pret. in the sense ` know '. In pret. pres. 1 s. -fetar continues in use down to modern times, but analogous forms are used in other persons: in fetrais . . .? Rofetar ┐ ro fetadur fir Eirenn, Acall. 7608 , 7610 . ma do ḟedarais (2 s.), TBC-LL¹ p. 221 n. 2 . rofhetabar (2 pl.), PH 1710 . rosfetabair, Metr. Dinds. iii 280.54 . rofhitirset, Fl. Earls 10.22 . -fhitirset, 62.21 . 114.16 . fesbaide, LL 195a25 = fesfaide, Metr. Dinds. iii 118. 105 , is a spurious fut. form (2 pl.).

A. Rofinnadar, finnaid.

(a) finds out, discovers, learns = Lat. cognoscit, often implying effort or investigation, esp. in imper.; folld. by acc., dependent question or clause with or without conj. In Glosses the pres. finn-, is used with force of a consuetudinal pres. or in general statements, Thurn. ZCP v 19 . In older texts the subj. and fut. forms in fes- are used in above sense. in línn rofitir a peccad finnad a ccúrsagad let as many as know their sins [come to] know their reprimanding , Wb. 29a17 . biit alaili and rofinnatar a pecthe rosíu docói grád forru whose sins are found out , 29a28 . ni taibri grád for nech confeser a inrucus, ib. 22 . mad ail duit co fesser olcc if thou wouldst learn what evil is , SR 1327 . ārim cech sluaig . . . ni fail nech rodasfessed who could find it out , 562 . ara feiser cenn rig for aithech that thou mayest be able to tell (when) a king's head (is) on a plebeian , Laws iii 106.4 . ragat acht co fiasur in n-airm atá provided I can find out where she is , SCC 16 . dia fessmais indni not-fóirfed, foghébta linn, IT i 122.21 . ro-finnathar a mathair-som inní sein discovers , ZCP viii 311.2 . ni fetar, olsi, cid dernad de. Finta-su em, ol A. find out! LL 251a18 ( TBFr. 295 ). finta-ssu dún in tecam fo nā tecam, TBC-LL¹ 199 . ar co festa-su damsa cia airm, etc., 1728 . findtae dun coich in choland find out for us whose body it is , Corm. Y 1018 . finna dam indiu Meidb ┐ Fergus (= keep an eye on M. & F. for me), LU 5400 . finta lat in mór in marbad, RC xiii 84.23 . finnta lat cid thacras Déicc, PH 1041 . fionnta libh cia doroine, etc., BNnÉ 34.29 . a ēigsi . . . in findtai nō in feadabair | cidh ma tugsat can you find out or do you know , BB 42b48 = in fagbaid no in fetabair, LL 211a39 . findamar uait do ainm let us hear your name , Ériu ii 102.1 . fionnam uait mar do íocais, TD 14.8 .

(b) the sense ` find out ' is not distinct from that of `knows' in forms with fes-: amal ninfessed cách as though no one knew us (gl. ignoti), Wb. 16a2 . can rufesta-su íccfe in mnái (= unde scis), 10a10 . ni ḟetar . . . dia fessaind conbeind na fatchius if I had known , TBC-LL¹ 932 . ni fili nad fiastar sé hernaili déc na filidechta he is no poet who does not know , ZCP vi 262.23 . dá bhfeasadh . . . cá huair do thiocfadh, TSh. 2244 (= si sciret, Matthew xxiv 43 ).

(c) hence the development of new forms from finn- in the sense ` find out ': cacha finnub-sa de . . . innisfithir duit-siu, TBC-LL¹ 5759 . finnubh . . . an crích bús fhearr dhibh, RC xliii 64 § 64 . ná lí do mhnái co finnair do not accuse your wife until you find out (her guilt) , Acall. 582 . doberthar chucom-so nech rodfinnfa do ghalur (= who will diagnose), IT i 122.3 . cia forindfad dún ca crích ina fuilem?, LL 264a18 ( MU 16.9 ). tri focuil for braich . . . co finntar a blas, Laws ii 242.12 .

(a) pret. pres. knows (gen. in sense of Lat. scire = is aware of, seldom is acquainted with): is becc rofitemmar-ni i rrúnaib Dǽe, Wb. 12c5 . is moo rofhitir Dia rúine na ṅdoine andaas rofhetatar fén, PH 5126 . rofhetar-sa at aiprisce na doíne, 1425 . in fetar cid ruc . . .? Nicon fetar dost thou know . . .? I know not , IT ii1 178.135 . in fetair-seo cia fath . . .? Nād edar-sa, TBC-I¹ 2222 , cf. TBC-LL¹ 2987 , 4251 . fer ná fetar claind no cenel dó of whom I know not his family nor his race , IT i 127.30 . ní ḟedabair an lá no an uair, RC xxv 388.18 .

(b) with force of pret. knew (common in Mid.Ir., esp. in 3d pers.): nachatfedir . . . atc[h]uitig fa thri he swore thrice that he knew thee not , ZCP x 47.13 . ni fhetar olc remisin I knew not evil until then , LB 111a42 ( MacCarthy 56.1 ), cf. SR 1335 . raḟitir co taetsad, TBC-LL¹ 3720 . ní fidir cuin doricfad a les, Ériu iii 154.13 .

(c) the pret. rofind is occas. similarly used: Findia .i. nech do ḟind Dia, Fél.² cxlvii ( Sep. 28 ). nír fhinnsad nār iad sloigh na criche, Marco P. 150 . nir fhionnsat cia cúil . . . iona rabhsad na curpa, BNnÉ 184.22 . ro find [Pátraic] combad si [Ard Macha] budh cenn . . . d'eccailsibh Erenn, AFM i 142.12 .

C. Rofess

(a) is known (perf. pres.): rofess i taig cáich, Wb. 23b9 . rocluinter in fogur ┐ ni fess cia rāide, IT i 144.11 . innahi nach fessa . . . na hi rofessa (= quae latent . . . quae leguntur), Lib. Hymn. i 38.33 , 34 .

(b) with force of pret. was known : is ed durumenatar-som nad fess in gním they thought the deed was not known , Ml. 80b10 . ba ceist mór la hUltu náconfes céle for a selb that she was not known to have a husband , IT i 139.10 . rofes o Día do Senán andí-sin that was (made) known to S. , ZCP iii 222.8 . Common in parenthesis or cheville: corbat rí rofes i ndiaid Cormaic, LL 147a17 ( PRIA iii 548 ). ropo derg th'ḟaebur, rofess, | i mBeluch, RC xx 11 § 12 . The neg. ní fess was later analysed as noun with cop., see 1 fes(s).

D. Idiomatic uses:

(a) with AR (FOR) of pers. finds out (knows) against (to the discredit of): cor . . . ara findtar a saithed whose fraud is discovered , Laws iii 6.19 . elodhuch ar a finnathar one found out to be a fugitive , 60.1 . ná fionnadh a hathair fuirre that her father might not find out (her guilt) , TFrag. 30.2 . rofes forsin fher-sin in gním, PH 948 = ō dafes, ZCP xiv 153.3 (YBL). aoinneach . . . ar a bhfionntaoi claonadh seanchusa do dhéanamh, Keat. iii 511 .

(b) of connubial intercourse: mac mná nad festar céle who knows no spouse (of the Virgin Mary), Imr. Brain § 26 . ben nad fessed [sic leg.] nech do feraib hErend ríam, IT i 119.29 (LU). ni fetar ┐ ni fhindub-sa ferscál, PH 2017 . dias inghean nar fhionn fear, Gen. xix 8 .

(c) doubtful: rofind . . . Dia suan . . . i nAdam, BB 16b20 = immisit . . . soporem in A. , Gen. ii 21 (leg. rofóid ?).

E. Some late exx.:

(a) in fidir tú ? do you know ? Acall. 753 . an bhféidir tú . . .?, ZCP iv 404.4 ; 412.17 . ni fhéidir . . . acht ro-fhéadar liom I do not know . . . but I do know , 412.19 . cf. an fitir lat ?, Snedg. u. Mac R 12.6

(b) 1 pl. pret. fetamar has given rise to the adv. eadamar surely, certainly , see TD ii p. 200 , Desíd. p. 304 : e. nach diúltfa sibh, Content. xvi 104 . eadamair eistfidhear linn, Dánta Gr. xvii 11 .