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Where does the word "refine" come from? It comes from Latin re- + fin, passing through French before entering English (1580s).
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Where does the word "refine" come from? It comes from Latin re- + fin, passing through French before entering English (1580s).
Refine’s story begins in Latin: re- + fin meant “make fine again.” 're-' plus 'fine', from Latin 'finis', end or perfection. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as raffiner. Used of sugar and metals. It reached English by 1580s as refine. Oil 'refineries' date from the 1800s. Today, refine means to remove impurities; to improve.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient re- + fin "make fine again", 're-' plus 'fine', from Latin 'finis', end or perfection.
- Stage 2 · French · 1500s raffiner "to refine", used of sugar and metals.
- Stage 3 · English · 1580s refine "to purify", oil 'refineries' date from the 1800s.