Etymologically
Log in

finalis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 21:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [fiːˈnaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fiˈnaː.lis][1]

Forms

fīnālis (neuter fīnāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin fīnis (“end, boundary”) + -ālis.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Apuleius.[4] Köbler dates him about 125–175 AD.[4]

Semantic evolution

The TLL says it belongs to later Latin, and Lewis & Short call it post-classical.[3][5] It first meant concerned with boundaries, as the jurists' boundary disputes, and Macrobius and Chalcidius call the horizon the circulus finalis, the bounding circle.[2][5][6]

It also meant at the end, final: grammarians speak of the final letter or syllable, Augustine of final happiness, and Donatus of what is decisive.[6][5][7] Medieval Latin used it of what is ultimate, of the last syllable, of boundaries and of land belonging to an estate.[8][9] English final came from Old French and Late Latin in the early 14th century.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it.[4]
  • 1st half of the 5th century AD – Macrobius calls the horizon circulus finalis.[5][4]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine speaks of final happiness.[5][4]
  • early 14th century – English final is recorded.[10]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or concerning boundaries.[2][1]
  2. Bounding, circulus finalis, the horizon.[6][7]
  3. (Late Latin) Of the end, final, last; decisive.[5][1]

Word family

  • fīnālitās
  • rīvifīnālis
  • fīniēns
  • fīniō
  • fīnis
  • fīnitimus
  • fīnītiō
  • fīnītīvus
  • fīnītor
  • fīnītus
  • English final

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com