Aífe

proper noun

A female warrior from Alba (Scotland), the daughter of Airdgeimm and sister of Scáthach, who became Cú Chulainn's lover; featured in the Ulster Cycle.

OriginOld Irish Aífe →
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Aoibhe · alternative Aoife

  1. Either of two figures of Irish mythology:
    1. Irishhuman sciencesA female warrior from Alba (Scotland), the daughter of Airdgeimm and sister of Scáthach, who became Cú Chulainn's lover; featured in the Ulster Cycle.
    2. Irishhuman sciencesOne of the wives of Lir, who turned her stepchildren into swans; featured in Oidheadh chloinne Lir ("Fate of the Children of Lir").

Origin

  1. Old IrishAífe
  2. EnglishAífe

Borrowed from Old Irish Aífe; compare Modern Irish Aoife.

More words from Old Irish

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Aífe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%C3%ADfe

MLA

“Aífe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%C3%ADfe. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Aífe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%C3%ADfe.

Source: Aífe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.