denouement

Where does the word "denouement" come from? It comes from Old French desnouer, and was adopted directly into English (1752).

Denouement’s story begins in Old French: desnouer meant “to untie a knot.” To untie, from des- (undoing) and nouer (to tie, to knot). It reached English by 1752 as denouement. French 'untying', from the untangling of a plot's knot. Today, denouement means the final resolution or unraveling of a story's plot.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval desnouer "to untie a knot", to untie, from des- (undoing) and nouer (to tie, to knot).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1752 denouement "the final resolution of a story's plot", French 'untying', from the untangling of a plot's knot.