fino Italian · revision 37673

+ {{homograph|1|until, as far as}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Storie de Troia e de Roma|origins=la fīnis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfi.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fino''' (invariable; often shortened to ''fin'', with the variant ''sino'')^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The preposition is [[inh|la|fīnis|alt=fīne|t=at the limit]], the ablative of the noun “limit, end”, used in prepositional phrases such as ⟨fine a(d)⟩ and ⟨in fine a(d)⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Latin itself used [[m|la|fīnis|alt=fīne]] and [[m|la|fīnis|alt=fīnī]] in the sense “up to, as far as”.^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) The same use is found in [[sc|finas]] “until”.^(REW 1935) It is thus the same word as the noun [[fine#1]], in a form fixed by its use as a preposition.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the ''Storie de Troia e de Roma'', of the 13th century, in the form ''fi'': “Noi comenzamo da lo primo omo fi alla citate de Roma” (we began from the first man up to the city of Rome).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|5, 1050) Dante has it in the ''Purgatorio'': “fino a la fine” (to the very end).^(GDLI|5, 1050)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The preposition is used almost only before another preposition or an adverb (''fino a'', ''fin da'', ''fin qui''), for limits in time, space and quantity.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The adverbial sense “even” is in Matteo Bandello before 1561.^(DELI 1999) Compounds followed: ''finché'' (Brunetto Latini, before 1294), ''infino'' (early 14th century), ''finora'' (14th century), ''fintantoché'' (Boccaccio, before 1375), ''finanche'' (Cesare Beccaria, 1787) and ''perfino'' (1807).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Old Umbrian and Roman had ''finente'', ''fino'' combined with a form of Latin ''intus''.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – The ''Storie de Troia e de Roma'' use the preposition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''finché''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses ''fintantoché''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1561 – Matteo Bandello uses ''fino'' “even”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1787 – Cesare Beccaria uses ''finanche''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1807 – ''Perfino'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|until]], up to a point in time, with ''a'': ''Il negozio resta aperto fino alle otto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # As far as, up to a place: ''Ti accompagno fino alla stazione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Since, from, with ''da'': ''fin dal primo giorno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Up to a quantity, a degree or an extreme: ''correre fino a perdere il fiato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|even]], actually: ''È stato fin troppo gentile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[finché]]

+ * [[finora]]

+ * [[fintantoché]]

+ * [[finanche]]

+ * [[infino]]

+ * [[perfino]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|fine, thin}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini|origins=la fīnis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfi.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fino''' (feminine fina, masculine plural fini, feminine plural fine, superlative finissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is a popular variant of [[fine#2]], with the ending of the commonest adjectives in ⟨-o⟩; both continue [[inh|la|fīnis|t=limit, end]] in the sense “extreme, the highest degree”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Wiktionary posits an adjective [[la-vul|*fīnus]].^(Wiktionary) The same development is found in [[fr|fin]], [[oc|fi]], [[es|fino]] and [[pt|fino]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The word passed into [[tr|fino]], for the best quality and for a small lapdog.^(DEI|1648)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI and the TLIO treat ''fino'' together with ''fine'', whose earliest records are before 1250, in Giacomo da Lentini, for gold or silver without impurities.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) GRADIT dates ''fino'' before 1250 in the sense “pure”.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Fino amore'' was the refined love of the medieval lyric, and Boccaccio calls a trusted friend ''amico fino''.^(GRADIT 2003) Today the adjective is mostly used in fixed combinations such as ''sale fino'', ''oro fino'' and ''cervello fino'', and in colloquial ''fa fino'' “it looks classy”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) As a noun, ''il fino'' is the amount of pure gold or silver in a coin.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Fine, [[m|en|thin]], finely ground: ''sale fino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Sharp, shrewd: ''cervello fino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|pure]], without impurities: ''oro fino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Refined, elegant: ''fa fino'' means it looks classy.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(numismatics)'' The [[m|en|fineness]] of a coin, the quantity of pure gold or silver it contains.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fine]]

+ * [[sino]]

+ * [[confine]]

+ * [[la|fīnis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a consonant the preposition is often shortened to ''fin'' (''fin qui'', ''fin troppo''), and ''sino'' may replace it for the sound.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}