final

Forms

final (feminine finale, masculine plural finals or finaux, feminine plural finales)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin fīnālis (“at the end”), a Late Latin derivative of fīnis (“end”), the source of fin¹.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin adjective also meant “that marks a boundary”,^[6] and in Medieval Latin it took the sense “relating to a cause or purpose” (about 1170), from which the French philosophical use comes.^[2][5][3]

Cognate with Occitan final, Spanish final and Italian finale.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in Étienne de Fougères's Livre des manières (1174–1178), meaning “that ends something, that is at the end”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In about 1361–1365 Nicole Oresme used it in philosophy for what tends towards an end or aim,^[2][5] the sense of cause finale “final cause”.^[7][4] The feminine used as a noun, finale, became a term of grammar (1718), of dance and music (1721) and of sport (1895), where it is now most common.^[5]

The masculine noun final has been recorded in the sense “end”,^[8] and the phrase au final “in the end” is now common but criticized.^[9][4] In grammar a proposition finale is a clause of purpose.^[9][4]

Timeline

• 1174–1178 – It appears in Étienne de Fougères's Livre des manières.^[2][5]
• c. 1361–1365 – Oresme uses it of what tends towards an aim.^[2][5]
• 1718 – The feminine noun finale is used in grammar.^[5]
• 1721 – Finale is used in music and dance.^[5]
• 1895 – Finale is used of the deciding match in sport.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Final, last, that comes at the end: la note finale, le bilan final.^[4][2]
2. Point final: a full stop;^[4] mettre un point final à, to put a definitive end to.^[4]
3. (economics) At the end of the chain of production, as opposed to intermediate: le client final.^[4]
4. La solution finale: the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe.^[4][9]
5. (philosophy) Relating to an end or purpose: cause finale.^[4][7]
6. (grammar) Expressing purpose: proposition finale.^[9][1]
7. Au final (familiar, criticized): in the end, all things considered.^[4][9]
8. (theology) Lasting until the end of life: impénitence finale.^[7]

Word family

• finalement
• finaliser
• finalité
• finale

Related words

• fin¹
• Latin fīnālis

Usage notes

The masculine plural is finals or, less often, finaux.^[6][4][1] The musical noun finale or final “last movement of a work” has a separate source: it was borrowed in 1779 from Italian finale, a music term recorded before 1742 that comes from fine (“end”), and it has also been written un final since 1802.^[5][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)