fån

See also: faan

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish fåne, from Old Norse fáni (“vain person, swaggerer”), but of unknown ultimate origin. Related to middle Danish fåne (“fool”).[1][2] Perhaps related to or influenced by fjäll (“rock, cliff, mountain”).[3] Compare also English fumble, Norwegian Nynorsk fomme (“clumsy fool”).

Possibly loaned into English, compare fun, fond.

Pronunciation
  • Rhymes: -oːn

Noun

fån n

  1. idiot, fool, halfwit, stupid person
    Stå inte där som ett fån
    Don't stand there like an idiot

Usage notes
  • Often has connotations of seeming a bit lost and confused, in a silly dumb conspicuous way (that might arouse löje in severe cases). Closer to fool than idiot, but not as old-fashioned, hence the translation.
  • A synonym is fåne. Fån is always used in "som ett fån," and "är ett fån" is more common than "är en fåne."

Declension
Declension of fån 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative fån fånet fån fånen
Genitive fåns fånets fåns fånens

Verb

fån

  1. Obsolete plural form of får, present tense of få. 2nd person only.
  2. Obsolete plural form of få, imperative of få. 2nd person only.
    Upp, alla I som ären törstiga, kommen hit och fån vatten
    Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters (Isaiah 55:1)

References
  1. Verity, A. W., Milton, J. (1904). Samson Agonistes: With Introd., Notes, Glossary and Indexes. United Kingdom: University Press, p. 147
  2. Ó Muirithe, D. (2011). Words We Don't Use (Much Anymore): The Meaning of Words And Where They Come From. Ireland: Gill Books.
  3. “fån”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy]‎ (in Swedish), 1937

Further reading
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