This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word: Finifugal!
This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word Is:
Being finifugal means you’re averse to endings, so you try to avoid or delay the final moment of… well, anything. That’s pretty concise, but I just can’t bring myself to conclude this definition. And by that, I mean the semantic statement of the meaning of the term finifugal. Because definition can also mean the level of detail in a digital image or recording. But that’s not what it means in this instance. Defining something can also mean clarifying the details of a particular project. And then there’s… (insert play-off music here). [1]
Etymology:
Origin Of The Word Finifugal
The only evidence for finifugal is from the 1883 writings of L. A. Tollemache. And the etymology of this word is easy to wrap up. It comes from the Latin fini-s meaning “end” + fug-a meaning to fight+ -al. The end. [2]
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Endnotes:
[1] Fawcett, Bill. “11 Weird Words/Phrases You Should Be Using.” Huffington Post. Oct 1, 2023.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weird-phrases_b_4018105
[2] Dara Rochlin Book Doctor. https://dararochlinbookdoctor.com/2016/09/14/word-wednesday-finifugal/
Oxford English Dictionary. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/finifugal_adj?tl=true
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