word-final
|word-fi-nal|
🇺🇸
/wɝdˈfaɪnəl/
🇬🇧
/wɜːdˈfaɪnəl/
at the end of a word
Etymology
'word-final' originates from Modern English compounding of the native Old English-derived word 'word' and the adjective 'final' (from Latin via French); 'word' comes from Old English 'word' (OE word), meaning 'speech, utterance', and 'final' ultimately comes from Latin 'finalis' (from 'finis') meaning 'end'.
'final' entered English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'finalis' (related to 'finis' meaning 'end'); 'word' is inherited from Old English 'word'. The compound 'word-final' is a Modern English formation used in linguistic description (word + final).
Initially, 'final' meant 'of or relating to an end' (from Latin); when combined with 'word' it came to specify position 'at the end of a word' in linguistic contexts, a specialization of the original sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(Transformation) The state or quality of being word-final; noun form derived from 'word-final'.
The word-finality of the suffix influences vowel reduction patterns.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
occurring at or positioned at the end of a word; used in linguistics to describe segments or features that appear in the final position of a word (e.g., word-final consonant).
Word-final vowels are often shorter than word-medial vowels in many languages.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/12 08:21