Finis

Finis is a Latin noun meaning end, boundary, or limit, and it has long been used in Latin literature to denote the termination of a text or section. In classical and post-classical contexts, the term could indicate the final point of a work, its completion, or the end of a discourse. The Latin form also appears in phrases such as finis operis, referring to the end of the work.

In manuscript culture and early printing, finis or the later-form FINIS was commonly placed at the conclusion of a book, a chapter, or a section to announce that the work had ended. This usage persisted in medieval and early modern book production, sometimes accompanied by decorative borders or colophons. The explicit marking of an end served as a clear signal to readers and custodians of the text.

In other contexts, finis is encountered as a term of philological interest. Scholars study its usage to understand endings and boundaries in ancient and medieval texts, codicology, and the conventions of manuscript transmission. The word also survives in modern languages and in the study of Latin loanwords; it helps explain related terms such as finish, which ultimately derive from the same Latin root.

In popular culture, the word has appeared in various forms, including as a literal end card in early silent films, where FINIS or finis sometimes appeared on the screen to signal the end of the movie. While its everyday usage is largely historical, finis remains a recognizable artifact of how authors and printers signaled conclusion across centuries.