finir French · revision 16368

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (fenir)|origins=la fīnis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fi.niʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''finir'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''fenir'' (about 1100); ''finir'' from the 13th century, remade after [[fin]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989) Old French more often used ''finer'', formed directly on the noun.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|fenir]], [[inh|la|fīniō|t=to limit, bound; to finish]], from [[m|la|fīnis|t=boundary, end]].^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|3, 556b)^(Wiktionary) The Old French form “fenir” arose by dissimilation of the two “i” sounds; it was remade early as “finir” after the noun [[fin]].^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In Latin the verb meant “to limit” and “to finish”, and intransitively “to come to an end, to die”.^(TLFi)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|fenir]], [[ca|finir]] and [[it|finire]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1100 the ''Chanson de Roland'' uses ''fenir'' transitively, “to bring to an end, complete”: ''Ses barons mande pur sun cunseill fenir'' “he summons his barons to finish his council”.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive sense, “to come to an end in time or space”, is found in Wace in 1130–40.^(TLFi) At the end of the 13th century it also meant “to put an end to, make cease”, and ''finir de'' with an infinitive, “to stop doing”, dates from 1573.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) ''En finir'' “to have done with something unpleasant” is recorded by the Académie in 1798.^(TLFi)

+

+ In the 17th century ''finir'' took the sense “to bring to perfection” (before 1660, Scarron), whence the participle ''fini'' “perfect of its kind” (1688).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989) The participle in the sense “limited” (Oresme, 1370–82) survives mainly in philosophy, as in Descartes (1647) and Pascal.^(TLFi) ''Finir par'' with an infinitive, “to end up doing”, is found in Buffon in 1805.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – ''Fenir'' in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1130–1140 – Intransitive use in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – The form ''finir''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1370–1382 – ''Fini'' “limited” in Oresme.^(TLFi)

+ * 1573 – ''Finir de'' “to stop doing”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1647 – ''Fini'' as a philosophical term in Descartes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1798 – ''En finir'' in the Académie dictionary.^(TLFi)

+ * 1805 – ''Finir par'' “to end up” in Buffon.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|finish]], complete: ''finir un travail''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # To put the finishing touches to, perfect: ''finir une pièce''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # To spend the last part of a period: ''finir ses jours à la campagne''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To come to an [[m|en|end]], stop: ''le spectacle finit tard''.^(Larousse)

+ # ''Finir par'': to end up doing: ''il a fini par accepter''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''En finir'': to have done with, settle something once and for all.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[finissage]]

+ * [[finisseur]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[défini]]

+ * [[fin]]

+ * [[fini]]

+ * [[finition]]

+ * [[indéfini]]

+ * [[infini]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}