different between fayre vs faire

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English fayr, feir, fager, from Old English fæ?er.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??(?)/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

Adjective

fayre (comparative fayrer or more fayre, superlative fayrest or most fayre)

1. (archaic) Fair, beautiful.
   • 15th century, Thomas Malory, Tale of Sir Tristram; published in Thomas Malory, Eugène Vinaver, editor, Malory: Works, London: Oxford University Press, 1971, OCLC 432570779, page 259:

     'Nay, I wyll nat so,' seyde sir Trystrames, 'for here is none that woll gyff ryghtuous jugemente. But I doute nat,' seyde sir Trystrames, 'my lady is fayrer than youres, and that woll I make good with my hondys, and who that woll sey the contrary, I woll preve hit on his hede!'

Etymology 2

From Old French foire, from Latin f?riae.

Noun

fayre (plural fayres)

1. (dated) A fair, a market.
   • 1533–1534, An Acte agaynst Forstallying & Regratying of Fyshe (25 Henry VIII, chapter 4); reprinted in The Statutes of the Realm: Printed by Command of His Majesty King George the Third, in Pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons of Great Britain. From Original Records and Authentic Manuscripts, volume III, [London]: Printed by George Eyre and Andrew Strahan, 1817, OCLC 758689339, page 440:

     WHERE AS before this tyme dyverse Actis of Parliament have byn made by the Kyngis most noble pgenitours agaynst forstallers and regratours of vytaile and other marchaundisez in markettis and fayres within this Realme of Englonde, […] Be it therfore enactid by auctorite of this psent parliament that noo maner of pson or psones of what estate degree or condicion he or they be, other then suche pson or psones as nowe be or herafter shalbe marchaunt venterers to Iselande, for the seid fysshe, […] shall bye any of the kindes of the seid fysshe at or [apon] the stone or at the seyd easte see syde or easte see costis, to sell the same fysshe agayn or any parte therof at any of the seid fayre or fayres callid Sturbrigge feyre Sancte Ives or Elye fayre; […]
2. (dated) Fare.

Usage notes

In the senses of "fair" (market) and "fare" (food and drink), fayre is still often used to lend an air of history or tradition, particularly in the United Kingdom; for example, a school's "summer fayre" or a university's "freshers' fayre", and "traditional English fayre [cuisine]".

Anagrams

• Freya, arefy, faery

English

Adjective

faire

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Noun

faire (plural faires)

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Usage notes

Sometimes used deliberately to convey an archaic feeling, e.g. "Renaissance faire"

Anagrams

• Arfie, Feria, Freia, afire, feria, rafie

French

Etymology

From Middle French faire, from Old French faire, feire, fere, from Vulgar Latin *fare, elided form of Latin facere, present active infinitive of faci?, from Proto-Italic *faki?, from Proto-Indo-European *d?eh?- (“to put, place, set”). The past historic and imperfect subjunctive stem fi- (fis, fis, fit, ...) originate from Latin irregular perfect stem f?c- (f?c?), from faci?, with Romance metaphony rules.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f??/
• Homophones: fer, fers

Verb

faire

1. (transitive) to do

2. (transitive) to make

3. (transitive) to say (of a person), to go (of an animal)

4. (transitive) to make (cause someone or something to do something)

5. (impersonal) To be (of the weather or various situations).

6. (reflexive) to do, to make (oneself)

7. (reflexive, followed by an infinitive) to be, to get (used for a passive action)

8. (reflexive) to ripen (of fruit), to mature
9. (reflexive, ~ à) to become used to, to get used to
10. (slang, reflexive, transitive) to do (to have sex with)
11. (reflexive) to become, to get

Usage notes

• When it is followed by an infinitive, the past participle fait is invariable.

  Elle s'est fait comprendre, not *elle s'est faite comprendre.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Pages starting with “faire”.

Pages starting with “se_faire”.

Related terms

Further reading

• “faire” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• ferai, féria, fiera, fraie

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

faire

1. inflection of fair:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?a???/

Noun

faire f (genitive singular faire, nominative plural fairí)

1. verbal noun of fair
2. watch (act of guarding)
3. wake (period after death)

   Synonym: tórramh

Declension

Derived terms

• túr faire (“watch-tower”)

Verb

faire

1. present subjunctive analytic of fair

Mutation

Further reading

• "faire" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “faire” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “faire” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• fair

Adjective

faire

1. fair; handsome; beautiful; attractive

Descendants

• English: fair

Middle French

Alternative forms

• fayre
• feire
• fere

Etymology

From Old French faire, feire, fere, from Latin facere, present active infinitive of faci?.

Verb

faire

1. to do
2. to make
3. to choose; to elect

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Descendants

• French: faire

Norman

Alternative forms

• faithe (Jersey)

Etymology

From Old French faire, from Latin faci?, facere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *d?eh?- (“to put, place, set”).

Verb

faire

1. (Guernsey) to make, do

Derived terms

• faire câod (“to be warm (out)”)

Occitan

Alternative forms

• far
• fer
• har (Gascon)
• hèser (Gascony)

Etymology

From Latin facere, present active infinitive of faci?.

Verb

faire

1. to do
2. to make

Conjugation

Old French

Alternative forms

• fere
• feire

Etymology

From Latin facere, present active infinitive of faci?.

Verb

faire

1. to do

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Descendants

• French: faire

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

faire f (genitive singular faire, plural fairean)

1. watch (the act or period of watching or guarding)

Derived terms

• facal-faire
• faireil
• taigh-faire