fīnis

Disputed. Perhaps for *fignis, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stick, set up”), whence figō, or for *fidnis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”), whence findō.

For the meaning “region”, compare pāgus again from a root meaning “to fix”.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈfiː.nis/, [ˈfiːnɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfi.nis/, [ˈfiːnis]

Noun

fīnis m or f (genitive fīnis); third declension

1. end [ antonyms ▲][ quotations ▼]

   Antonyms: initium, prīmōrdium, prīncipium, exōrdium, orīgō, limen

   in finem ― eternally

   ad finem ― to the end

   finem facio ― I cease

2. limit, border, bound boundary, frontier [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: līmes, modus, cacūmen

3. (in the plural) boundaries, bounds; by extension, territory, region, lands
4. limit in duration, term (duration of a set length) [ quotations ▼]
5. end, purpose, aim, object, telos [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: voluntās, intentiō, cōnsilium, propositum, animus, mēns

6. death, end (of life) [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: mors, fūnus, fātum, interitus, exitus, perniciēs, somnus, sopor

7. amount (in late juridical writings)

Usage notes

According to Lewis & Short, finis does occasionally appear as a feminine noun in both the ante-classical and post-classical eras.

Declension

Third-declension noun (i-stem, ablative singular in -e or -ī).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fīnis	fīnēs
Genitive	fīnis	fīnium
Dative	fīnī	fīnibus
Accusative	fīnem	fīnēs fīnīs
Ablative	fīne fīnī	fīnibus
Vocative	fīnis	fīnēs