'fine' (the base form of 'fines') originates from Old French, specifically the word 'fin' or 'fine', where the root 'fin-' came from Latin 'finis' meaning 'end' or 'limit'.

'fine' changed from Old French 'fin/fine' (meaning 'end, settlement') and entered Middle English as 'fine', later developing specialized senses such as a settled payment; this evolved into the modern English noun 'fine' (a monetary penalty) and related verb uses.

Initially, it meant 'end' or 'settlement' in the sense of a conclusion or agreement; over time one sense became 'a payment made to settle or end a matter', which further generalized into the current meaning of 'a monetary penalty'.