Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “finesse” come from?

finesse (Old French) comes from Old French fine, from Latin fīnis, from Proto-Indo-European dʰnh₂-.

finesse (Old French): fineness; delicacy; slenderness

Definitions

  1. fineness; delicacy; slenderness

Ancestry of “finesse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfine—
2Latinfīnis—
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰnh₂-—

Words derived from “finesse”

  • finesse
  • finesser
  • finessable
  • outfinesse
  • fīnesse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰnh₂- →