Where does “finesse” come from?
Finesse comes from Middle English fīnesse, from Middle French finesse, from Old French fin meaning "end" or "final," from Latin finis meaning "boundary" or "end," from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ-.
finesse (English): Skill in the handling or manipulation of a...
Definitions
- Skill in the handling or manipulation of a...
Ancestry of “finesse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fīnesse | degree of excellence; fineness, purity |
| 2 | Old French | finesse | fineness; delicacy; slenderness |
| 3 | Old French | fine | — |
| 4 | Latin | fīnis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰnh₂- | — |
Words derived from “finesse”