Where does “semifinal” come from?
semifinal (Swedish) comes from English semifinal, from Latin semifinalis, from English final, from Middle English final, from Old French final, from Latin fīnālis, from Latin -ālis, from Proto-Italic -ālis.
semifinal (Swedish): semifinal
Ancestry of “semifinal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | semifinal | A playoff in the round with only four players or... |
| 2 | Latin | semifinalis | — |
| 3 | English | final | A final examination; a test or examination given... |
| 4 | Middle English | final | — |
| 5 | Old French | final | final, definitive, last |
| 6 | Latin | fīnālis | — |
| 7 | Latin | -ālis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -ālis | — |