fær

• IPA^(key): /fɛaːɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɛaːɹ
• Homophone: far

fær

1. third-person singular present of fáa

   hon fær sær ein kaffimunn

   she gets herself a cup of coffee

   (literally, “she takes a cup of coffee”)

   Sjúrður fær sær hestin Grana og ríður til Regin smið

   Sigurd finds the horse Grane and rides to Regin the smith

• IPA^(key): /faiːr/
• Rhymes: -aiːr

From Old Norse fǿrr, fœrr, from Proto-Germanic *fōriz (“able to go, passable”).

fær (comparative færari, superlative færastur)

1. able, talented, competent

   Hún er fær í forritun.

   She is good at programming.

2. (of roads) passable

   Synonym: farandi

   Antonym: ófær

   Er vegurinn fær?

   Is the road passable.

From Old Norse fær.

fær n (unknown declension)

1. (obsolete, only in compounds) sheep

   Synonym: kind

• færsauður (“sheep”)
• færgras (“sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina)”)
• færeygill (“sheep-eyed”) (obsolete)
• Færeyjar (“The Faroes”)
• færilús (“sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus)”, literally “sheep louse”)

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “fær”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Mörður Árnason (2019), ““fær-””, in Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “sauðvingull”, in Íðorðabanki [Terminology Bank] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, 2002–2024

fær

1. third-person singular present indicative active of fá

• fræ

• fe (dialectal)

fær

1. (non-standard since 2012) present of få

From Proto-Germanic *fērō. Cognate with Old Saxon vār (“ambush”) (Dutch gevaar (“danger”)), Old High German fāra (“ambush, danger, deceit”) (German Gefahr (“danger”)).

• fēr — Anglian, late Kentish

• IPA^(key): /fæːr/
• Rhymes: -ǣr

fǣr m (West Saxon, early Kentish)

1. sudden danger, calamity

   fǣrslide ― a sudden fall

   fǣrrǣs ― sudden rush

   fǣrrǣsende ― rushing headlong

2. sudden attack; ambush; a blitz

   fǣrnīþ ― hostile attack

   fǣrgripe ― sudden grip

Strong a-stem:

• Middle English: fere, fer, feer, feere
  • English: fear
  • Scots: fere, feir
  • Yola: vear

From Proto-West Germanic *far, from Proto-Germanic *farą, from the same source as Old English faran. Cognate with Old High German far (“harbour, carting station”), Old Norse far (“pathway, vehicle, ship”).

• fer — Vespasian Psalter Mercian, late Kentish

• IPA^(key): /fær/
• Rhymes: -ær

fær n

1. way, journey, passage, expedition; highway
2. proceedings, way of life
3. movable possessions; means of subsistence
4. ark, ship
5. aspect

Strong a-stem:

• ġefær (“journey”)
• ymbfær

• Middle English: fare, far, phare, vare, fære, væræ (Early Middle English)
  • English: fare
  • Scots: fare
  • Yola: gudeváre

• *fáʀ — Old East Norse

From Proto-Germanic *fahaz.

fær n

1. sheep

   Synonym: sauðr

• Færeyjar

• Icelandic: fær (obsolete)
• Faroese: ⇒ Føroyar f pl, førilús (“sheep ked”)
• Norwegian Nynorsk: fær (obsolete); ⇒ Færøyane f pl
• Old Swedish: fār
  • Swedish: får
• Old Danish: far
  • Danish: får
    • Norwegian Bokmål: får
    • → Faroese: fár
    • → Norwegian Nynorsk: får