Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “finicky” come from?

Finicky derives from English finical, from English fine, from Italian fine, from Latin finis meaning "end" or "boundary," from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ-.

finicky (English): Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please;...

Definitions

  1. Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please;...

Ancestry of “finicky”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfinickTo display extreme daintiness or refinement; To...
2EnglishfinicalFinicky, fastidious, overly precise or delicate
3EnglishfineSenses referring to subjective quality; Senses...
4Germanfeinfine; fine; very good; as it should be; refined;...
5Middle High Germanfīn—
6Old Frenchfinfine, delicate
7Latinfīnis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰnh₂-—

Words derived from “finicky”

  • finickiness
  • unfinicky
  • finickily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰnh₂- →