feaw

• fēawa, fēawe, fēa

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”).

• IPA^(key): /fæ͜ɑːw/

fēaw (superlative fēawost)

1. few

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.

• fēasċeaft

• Middle English: fewe, feawe, feu
  • English: few
  • Scots: feu, fyow
  • Yola: vew