furnishing
ˈfɜːrnɪʃɪŋ
noun
Origin
Old French
fournir — to provide, to carry out, to complete
Overview
Meaning Now
- The act of providing or supplying something.
- Furniture, fittings, and other movable items in a room or building.
Literal older meaning
the act of preparing or equipping
Language path
Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
furnisshing
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
The term derives from the Old French 'fournir', which carried the sense of completing a task or providing necessary equipment. In the context of interior design, it evolved to refer to the act of 'equipping' a house with furniture and fixtures, becoming a standard term in trade and commerce by the early modern period.
Evolution
- Old French (12th century)
fournir
“to equip or complete”
- Middle English (15th century)
furnisshen
“to supply with necessaries”
- English (16th century)
furnishing
“the act of providing”
Connections
Word parts
furnish
root
to provide or equip
ing
suffix
gerund forming suffix
Related across languages
French
fournir
to provide/supply
Related words
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Related to furnishing
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.