entry
finity
/ˈfɪnəti/The condition or quality of being finite
From Latin, transmitted through French fin (boundary).
from Latin finire (see finite ).
from French finité
+1 more sourcefrom French finité
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin finire (see finite ).
from French finité
+1 more sourcefrom French finité
+1 more sourceA word that sounds as though someone simply chopped the beginning off “infinity” actually has a much older and more orderly family history. Latin finire meant “to bound” or “bring to an end,” the linguistic equivalent of putting a fence around a field; from it came French finité and then English finity in the 1670s. Its close relatives include finite, final, finish, and infinity—the last one meaning, quite literally, “not bounded.” In 1999, science-fiction writer John Barnes used Finity as the title of a novel about realities branching into alternate histories, a wonderfully appropriate setting for a word about limits and countable possibilities. Remember the image: infinity is the road with no fence, while finity is the fence itself—and everything standing inside it.
The Story
A word that sounds as though someone simply chopped the beginning off “infinity” actually has a much older and more orderly family history. Latin finire meant “to bound” or “bring to an end,” the linguistic equivalent of putting a fence around a field; from it came French finité and then English finity in the 1670s. Its close relatives include finite, final, finish, and infinity—the last one meaning, quite literally, “not bounded.” In 1999, science-fiction writer John Barnes used Finity as the title of a novel about realities branching into alternate histories, a wonderfully appropriate setting for a word about limits and countable possibilities. Remember the image: infinity is the road with no fence, while finity is the fence itself—and everything standing inside it.
Modern Usage
An informal or humorous term modeled on infinity, sometimes used for countable divinity or as a playful replacement for infinity
Notable References
- Finity, a 1999 science-fiction novel by John Barnes
Kin & Kindred
From 'fin'·boundary, limit, or ending
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary