1 . The sixth letter and fourth 
consonant in the English 
alphabet, as in the Latin and 
the Phenician, and also as 
in the early Greek alphabet, 
through which the Latin was 
derived from the Phenician 
(see A), although it has gone 
out of use in the alphabet generally known to 
US as Greek. The Phenician character had the name 
vav or waw (meaning 'peg' or 'hook'), and its value was 
that of our English w. This same value it had in primi- 
tive Greek use, and it is found so used in western inscrip- 
tions, although lost too early to appear in eastern inscrip- 
tions. The sound, namely w, went gradually out of use in 
Greek, and its sign went with it. Since the latter some- 
what resembled in form one gamma (r) written above 
another, the Greek grammarians gave it the fanciful name 
of digamma or double gamma, by which therefore we gen- 
erally call it as a Greek letter. The comparative scheme 
of forms (compare A) is as follows : 
Y 
Pheni- 
Early 
Greek and Latin. 
Egyptian. 
Hieroglyphic. Hieratic. 
In the adaptation of the alphabet to Latin use the sign 
first received the value we give it, since the /-sound oc- 
curred in Latin and needed a representative ; the w-sound 
was provided for by being written with the same charac- 
ter as u. (See U and V.) The sound /, as we pronounce it, 
is a surd (or breathed, or voiceless) labiodental, a frica- 
tive sound or spirant : that is to say, it is made by the au- 
dible friction or rustling of the unintonated breath, when 
forced out between the edge of the lower lip and the tips 
of the upper teeth, these being held in contact with one 
another. If, everything else remaining the same, the in- 
tonated breath be forced out instead, the sound is v (as in 
valve, vivid) ; hence, / and v are corresponding surd and 
sonant. An /, nearly identical with ours in audible char- 
acter, may also be made between tiie edges of the two lips 
alone, without any help from the teeth ; and such a purely 
labial /is heard in many languages, and is with probability 
to be regarded as more primitive than the labiodental /, 
and as forming the transition to it, in the languages where 
the latter prevails. The same sound is also widely repre- 
sented in English by ph, but almost only in words coming 
from the Greek ; it also exists in some words written with 
gh, as laugh, cough, dough, rough, tough, etc., the labial 
aspirant having taken in such words the place of the pal- 
atal, such change being recognized in the spelling in only 
a few words, as dwarf, draft ( = draught), duff( dough, 
as formerly pronounced), etc. Historically,/stands in gen- 
eral for a more original p, as found in Sanskrit and the 
classical languages : thus, father for pitar, ir<mjj>, pater, 
etc. 
Thus the letter F is derived from the Hieroglyphic pic- 
ture of the cerastes, or horned Egyptian asp. 
Isaac Taylor, The Alphabet, I. 12. 
2. As a medieval Roman numeral, 40, and with 
a dash over it, .F, 40, 000. 3. In music: (a) The 
key-note of the major key of one flat haying 
the signature shown in fig. 3, or of the minor 
key of four flats having the signature shown 
in fig. 4 ; also, the final of the Lydian mode in 
medieval music. (6) In the fixed system of 
solmization, the fourth tone of the scale of C, 
called fa, and hence so named by French mu- 
sicians, (c) On the keyboard of the pianoforte, 
the white key next to the left of each group of 
three black keys, (d) The tone given by such 
a key, or a tone in unison with such a tone. Ce) 
The degree of a staff assigned to such a key or 
tone ; with the treble clef, the lower space or 
upper line (1). (/) A note on such a degree, 
indicating such a key or tone (2). 4. [cap. or 
I. c.] [Abbr. of function."] In alg., the sign of an 
operation in general, and especially of a func- 
tion having a differential coefficient. 5. An 
abbreviation (a) of Fellow (see F. R. S., F. S. 
A., etc.); (6) in physics, of Fahrenheit (which 
see); (c) in fisheries, of full fish a commercial 
mark; (d) in a ship's log-book, of fog. 6. The 
chemical symbol of fluorin.f clef. See clef : 
fa (fa), n. [It., etc., orig. taken from the first 
syllable of L. famuli : see yamut.~\ In solmi- 
zation, the syllable used for the fourth tone of 
the scale that is, the subdominant. In the 
major scale of C this tone is F, which is there- 
fore sometimes specifically called fa. 
fa' (fa), v. [Sc., also written /aw; = E./aK 1 , v., 
q. v.] I. intrans. To fall, in any sense. 
Wha for Scotland's King and law 
Freedom's sword will strongly draw, 
Freeman stand, or freeman fa', 
Let him follow me. 
Burns, Bruce's Address. 
II. trans. 1. To have as one's lot or share; 
get; obtain. 
He well may /a' a brighter bride, 
But nane that lo'es like me. 
Skiaen Anna; Fair Annie (Child's Ballads, III. 384). 
2. To claim ; pretend to. Jamieson. 
A prince can mak' a belted knight, 
A marquis, duke, an' a' that, 
But an honest man's aboon his might, 
Gude faith, he mauna fa' that. 
Burns, For A 1 That. 
fa' (fa), n. [Sc., = E./OZZ*, .] 1. Fall. 2. 
Share; due. 
An hundred a year for his/a', man. 
Rilion, Scottish Poems, II. 65. 
3. Lot; chance. 
A towmond [twelvemonth] of trouble should that be my 
ftf, 
A night of gude fellowship sowthers it a'. 
Burns, Contented wi' Little. 
F. A. A. An abbreviation of free of all average, 
a phrase used in marine-insurance policies. 
See average?, n. 
faam, /'. Seefaham. 
fa'ard(fard),a. [So.; also written fard,faur'd, 
acontr. of favored. Cf.farand.] Favored: used 
in composition: as, weel-fa'ard, well-favored; 
ill-fa'ard, ill-favored. 
Puir auld Scotland suffered aneugh by thae blackguard 
loons o' excisemen, . . . the ill-/a'ard thieves. 
Scott, Rob Hoy, xviii. 
fab (fab), n. A Scotch form of /oJ2. 
Faba (fa'ba), n. [L., a bean.] A genus of 
leguminous plants, by most authors included 
under the ge- 
nus Vina. The 
only species, F. 
vulgaris ( Vicia Fa- 
ha), is the horse- 
or Windsor-bean, 
which has been in 
cultivation from 
very early times, 
and the origin of 
which is not cer- 
tainly known, 
though it is said to 
have been found 
wild in both cen- 
tral Asia and north- 
ern Africa. It is 
extensively culti- 
vated in the old 
world, where the 
seeds are used 
chiefly for feeding 
horses, and in a 
green state as a 
vegetable. 
Fabaceae (fa- 
ba'se-e), n. pi. 
[NL.', fern. pi. 
of L. fabaceus, 
of beans: see/a- 
baceous.~\ Same 
Horse-bean (Faba vulgarise* Vicia 
fata). 
as Leguminosa. 
fabaceous (fa- 
ba'shius), a. [< , 
L. fabaceus, of or consisting of beans, (. faba, a 
bean.] Bean -like; leguminous. 
fabella (fa-bel'a), n. [NL., dim. of L. faba, a 
bean.] A sesamoid fibrocartilage, sometimes 
found ossified, developed in the gastrocnemius 
muscle, and situated on the back of the knee- 
joint or behind the condyle of the femur, in 
special relation with the fibula: as, "the fibu- 
lar fabella," Owen. 
faber (fa'ber), n. [L., a smith: see fabric, fe- 
ver 2 .} A name of a fish, the dory, Zeus faber. 
2107 
Fabian (fa'bi-an), a. [< L. Fabianus, < Fabius: 
seedef.] Delaying; dilatory; avoiding battle, 
in the manner of Quintus Fabius Maximus, a 
Roman general, who in conducting military op- 
erations against Hannibal declined to risk a 
battle in the open field, but harassed the enemy 
by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades. 
Met by the Fabian tactics, which proved fatal to its 
predecessors. Times (London). 
Fabiana (fa-bi-an'a), n. [NL., named after 
Fabiano, a Spanisli botanist.] A small sola- 
naceous genus of South American shrubs. F. 
imbricata is a heath-like evergreen of Chili, with small 
crowded leaves and a profusion of pure white flowers, for 
which it is occasionally cultivated. It has a peculiar aro- 
matic odor and bitter taste, and is a popular remedy in 
Chili for urinary disorders. 
fable (fa'bl), n. [< ME. fable, < OF. fable, fau- 
ble, F. fable = Pr. fabla, faula = Sp. habla = 
Pg.falla, speech, talk, language, mod. fabula, 
a fable, = It. favola = D. fabel = MHG. fabele, 
fabel, favele, G. fabel = Dan. Sw. fabel, < L. 
fabula, a narrative, account, story, esp. a fic- 
titious narrative, story, fable, < L. fart, speak, 
= Gr. (fiavai, speak, declare, make known, < y *<j>a, 
orig. give light, shine (cf . <j>aiveiv, -\/ *^av, bring 
to light, make appear, give light, mid. appear), 
= Skt. I/ bhd. From L. fart, speak, beside fa- 
ble, fabulate, confabulate, fabulous, fabulist, etc., 
come also E. affable, effable, etc., fame 1 , famous, 
infamous, etc., fate, fatal, etc., infant, infan- 
try, etc. ; and from Gr. tydvai or tyaivtiv come E. 
phase, phantasm, phantom, fantasy, fancy, phe- 
nomenon, emphasis, etc.] 1. A story; a tale; 
particularly, a feigned or invented story or 
tale, intended to instruct or amuse ; a fictitious 
narrative devised to enforce some useful truth 
or precept, or to introduce indirectly some opin- 
ion, in which imaginary persons or beings as 
well as animals, and even inanimate things, are 
represented as speakers or actors ; an apologue. 
Vse them to reade in the Bible and other (iodly Bokes, 
but especyally keepe them from reading of i&yneA fablett, 
vayne fantasyes, and wanton stories. 
Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 64. 
I never may believe 
These antique fables, nor these fairy toys. 
Shak., M. N. D., v. 1. 
Among all the different ways of giving counsel, I think 
the finest and that which pleases the most universally is 
fable, in whatsoever shape it appears. . . . Upon the 
reading of a fable we are made to believe we advise our- 
selves. Addison, Spectator, No. 512. 
2. A story or history untrue in fact or sub- 
stance, invented or developed by popular or 
poetic fancy or superstition and to some extent 
or at one time current in popular belief as true 
or real ; a legend ; a myth. 
Narrations of miracles . . . grew to be esteemed but as 
old wives' fables. Bacon, Advancement of Learning, i. 48. 
Witchcraft and diabolical possession and diabolical dis- 
ease have long since passed into the region of fables. 
Lecky, Rationalism, I. 194. 
3. A story fabricated to deceive; a fiction; a 
falsehood; a lie: as, the story is all & fable. 
This 3e witeth wel alle with-oute unyfabul, 
That this lond hade be lore at the last ende, 
gif thise werres hade lasted any while here. 
William of Paterne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 4608. 
4. The plot or connected series of events in 
an epic or dramatic poem founded on imagina- 
tion. 
The moral is the first business of ' the poet ; this being 
formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most 
suitable to the moral. Dryden. 
5. Subject of talk ; gossip; byword. [Rare.] 
Alas ! by little ye to nothing file, 
The peoples fable, and the spoyle of all. 
Spenser, Ruines of Rome, st. 7. 
Knew you not that, sir? 'tis the common fable. 
B. Jomon, Volpone, i. 1. 
= Syn. 1. Allegory, Parable, etc. (see simile). 3. Inven- 
tion, fabrication, hoax. 
fable (fa'bl), v. ; pret. and pp. fabled, ppr. fa- 
bling. [< ME. fablen, < OF. f abler, faubler, fla- 
ber = Pr. favelar = Sp. hablar, speak, talk, etc., 
= Pg. fatlar, speak, talk, tell, restored Sp. Pg. 
