fable

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula. === Pronunciation === enPR: fā′bəl, IPA(key): /ˈfeɪbəl/ Rhymes: -eɪbəl Hyphenation: fa‧ble === Noun === fable (plural fables) A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables. Synonym: morality play Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. Synonym: legend Fiction; untruth; falsehood. The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== fabulous (equivalent to fable +‎ -ous but actually derived from Latin fābulōsus (“celebrated in fable”)) ==== Translations ==== === Verb === fable (third-person singular simple present fables, present participle fabling, simple past and past participle fabled) (intransitive, archaic) To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true. 1852, Matthew Arnold, Empedocles on Etna, Act II, in Empedocles on Etna and Other Poems, London: B. Fellowes, p. 50,[1] He fables, yet speaks truth. (transitive, archaic) To make up; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely; to recount in the form of a fable. Synonyms: make up, invent, feign, devise ==== Derived terms ==== fabler ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “fable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Anagrams === befal == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Old French fable, borrowed from Latin fabula. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fabl/ === Noun === fable f (plural fables) fable, story Synonyms: conte, histoire ==== Related terms ==== affabulation ==== Descendants ==== Haitian Creole: fab → Turkish: fabl === Further reading === “fable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === From the noun fabel, ultimately from Latin fabula, from fā(rī) (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fɑːblə/ === Verb === fable (imperative fabl or fable, present tense fabler, passive fables, simple past and past participle fabla or fablet) to fantasize, dream fable om suksess dream about success ==== Derived terms ==== fabel === References === “fable” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From the noun fabel, ultimately from Latin fabula, from fā(rī) (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fɑːblə/ === Verb === fable (imperative fabl, present tense fablar, simple past and past participle fabla) to fantasize, dream fable om suksess dream about success to make up (something) ==== Derived terms ==== fabel === References === “fable” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Old French == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin fabula. === Noun === fable oblique singular, f (oblique plural fables, nominative singular fable, nominative plural fables) fable, story ==== Synonyms ==== conte estoire ==== Descendants ==== Middle French: fable French: fable → Middle Dutch: fabele Dutch: fabelAfrikaans: fabel→ Indonesian: fabel→ Papiamentu: fabel (dated)→ West Frisian: fabel → Middle English: fable English: fable → Middle High German: fabele German: Fabel == Spanish == === Verb === fable inflection of fablar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative