Fingent

/ˈfɪndʒənt/ adjective

Definition

Archaic term meaning feigned, false, or made by artificial means; not genuine.

Etymology

From Latin 'fingens' (present participle of 'fingere' meaning to feign or shape). The word entered Middle English through legal and philosophical texts but has become largely obsolete, replaced by more modern synonyms.

Kelly Says

Fingent is a wonderful Victorian-era word that reveals how medieval people thought about fakery—it comes from the Latin 'fingere' which also means to sculpt or shape, implying that something false is something artificially molded rather than naturally genuine, connecting deception to manual craft.

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