Where does “semifinal” come from?

semifinal (English) comes from Latin semifinalis, from English final, from Middle English final, from Old French final, from Latin fīnālis, from Latin -ālis, from Proto-Italic -ālis — forms relational adjectives.

semifinal (English): A playoff in the round with only four players or...

Definitions

  1. A playoff in the round with only four players or...

Ancestry of “semifinal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsemifinalis—
2EnglishfinalA final examination; a test or examination given...
3Middle Englishfinal—
4Old Frenchfinalfinal, definitive, last
5LatinfīnālisOf or pertaining to boundaries
6Latin-ālis—
7Proto-Italic-ālisforms relational adjectives

Words derived from “semifinal”

Every word from Proto-Italic -ālis →Every word from Latin -ālis →Every word from Latin fīnālis →