fynger

Middle English

Alternative forms

• finger, vinger, fyngir, fyngur, fyngyr, fiyngir, ffynger

Etymology

Inherited from Old English finger, from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz, from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfinɡər/, [ˈfiŋɡər]

Noun

fynger (plural fyngres or fyngers)

1. A finger (mobile extensions of the hand):
   • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “Psalm 143:1”, in Wycliffe's Bible:

     Blessid be my Lord God, that techith myn hondis to werre and my fyngris to batel.

     Blessed be my Lord God, who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to battle.

   • a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Merchant's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 2209–2210:

     And with hir fynger signes made she / That Damyan sholde clymbe upon a tree

     And with her finger she made signs / That Damian should climb onto a tree

   1. The fingers as a representation of divine craftsmanship.
   2. A digit or finger (unit of length around as long or wide as a finger).
2. (rare) The toes (usually of non-humans)
3. (rare) Something unimportant, small, or meagre.
4. (rare) A protruding extension or point.

Usage notes

In Middle English, the fyngres are usually considered to include the thumb.

Descendants

• English: finger
  • Sranan Tongo: finga
• Scots: finger
• Yola: vinger

References

• “finger, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-15.