finitus

Forms

fīnītus (feminine fīnīta, neuter fīnītum); first/second-declension adjective; superlative fīnītissimus^[1][2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin fīniō (“to bound, limit; to end”), its perfect passive participle used as an adjective.^[1][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

As an adjective it is found in Lucretius, Varro and Cicero,^[1][6] meaning definite or limited: Varro calls names such as Paris and Helena finita because they signify particular things.^[1]

Semantic evolution

Cicero uses it of what has bounds, quod finitum est habet extremum “what is bounded has an end”, and of well-rounded sentences.^[1][7] It became a technical term: in rhetoric a quaestio finita is a particular case, as against a general question (Quintilian: infinita est “an uxor ducenda”, finita “an Catoni ducenda” “the general question is whether to marry, the particular whether Cato should marry”);^[1] in grammar it describes definite pronouns, and Priscian even forms the superlative finitissimus.^[1][2][3] Seneca uses it of thunderbolts whose meaning holds only for a set time.^[1] Scholastic Latin used it for “finite” as against “infinite”.^[8][9] In medieval sources it also meant dead,^[10] and of gold or silver, refined.^[11][12]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of fixed periods of time.^[6][9]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of what has bounds.^[1][9]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses quaestio finita of a particular case.^[1][9]
• 6th century AD – Priscian uses the superlative as a grammatical term.^[2][9]
• early 15th century – English finite is borrowed from Latin.^[13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Particular, specific, definite.^[1][4]
2. (rhetoric) Of a question: concerning a particular case (Greek ὑπόθεσις (hupóthesis)).^[1]
3. (grammar) Of pronouns: definite.^[1][2]
4. Having limits, finite.^[1][4]
5. Of sentences: carefully finished, well-rounded.^[1][7]
6. (Medieval Latin) Dead.^[10]
7. (Medieval Latin) Of gold or silver: refined.^[11][12]

Related words

• fīniō
• īnfīnītus
• English finite

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T. (1890), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: American Book Company
8. ^ Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
9. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
10. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
11. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
12. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
13. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com