Finestra
/fɪˈnɛs.trə/noun
An opening in a wall or roof that lets in light and air; a window.
Did you know?English window is historically linked to Old Norse vindauga, literally “wind-eye,” but finestra itself comes from Latin fenestra, a word that many scholars connect to an ancient root for opening or cleft.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁- / *bʰeh₂-
“Possible ancient roots proposed for notions of opening, making, or shining; the exact pre-Latin origin of fenestra is uncertain.”
Latin
Latin
fenestra
“A window, opening, or aperture in a wall, roof, or structure.”
Late Latin
Latin
fenestra
“A window opening in buildings and other architectural contexts.”
Old Italian
Italian
finestra
“A window.”
Modern English
English
finestra
“Used chiefly as a borrowed or technical term for a window-like opening.”
Explore more surprising origins