Feal

From Middle English fele, fæle ("proper, of the right sort"), from Old English fǣle ("faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved"), from Proto-Germanic *failijaz ("true, friendly, familiar, good"), from Proto-Indo-European *pey- ("to adore"). Cognate with Scots feel, feelie ("cosy, neat, clean, comfortable"), West Frisian feilich ("safe"), Dutch veil ("for-sale"), Dutch veilig ("safe"), German feil ("for-sale"), Latin pīus ("good, dutiful, faithful, devout, pious").

Alternative forms

• feil, feel, feele, fiel

Full definition of feal

Adjective

1. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) (of things) Cosy; clean; neat.
• 1847, Henry Scott Riddell, Poems, songs and miscellaneous pieces:But if it stands in humble hame The bed, — I'll say this far in't, — Is clean and feel as ony lair King ever lay on — and that is mair Than mony ane could warrant.
2. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) (of persons) Comfortable; cosy; safe.
• 1887, Allan Cunningham, Henry Morley, Traditional tales of the English and Scottish peasantry:... when I care na to accompany ye to the kirkyard hole mysel, and take my word for't, ye'Il lie saftest and fealest on the Buittle side of the kirk; ...
3. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Smooth; soft; downy; velvety.

Derived terms

• fealy, feely

Adverb

1. In a feal manner.

From Middle English felen, from Old Norse fela ("to hide"), from Proto-Germanic *felhaną ("to conceal, hide, bury, trust, intrude"), from Proto-Indo-European *pele(w)-, *plē(w)- ("to hide"). Cognate with Old High German felahan ("to pass, trust, sow"), Old English fēolan ("to cleave, enter, penetrate").

Verb

1. (transitive, dialectal) To hide.

(Not found in Middle English), from Old French feal, collateral form of feeil, from Latin fidelis.

Adjective

1. (archaic) faithful, loyal

Derived terms

• fealty