How Do I Pronounce this word
(Source: Civil War Spoken Here by Robert D. Quigley)
Finis -( FIE-nis ) as in Jefferson Finis Davis, President of the Confederate States of America.
Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky in June 1808, the tenth child of Samuel and Jane Davis. The oldest child, Joseph, was already in college when Jefferson Davis was born. Jane Davis was forty-seven years old at the time of the birth, and it was perhaps a combination of whimsy and resolve that prompted Samuel to give the child the middle name “Finis.” Finis in Latin means “the end,” “the conclusion.” Samuel chose Jefferson for the boy’s first name, in honor of Thomas Jefferson, who was then serving in the White House.
Many people upon seeing this peculiar middle name pronounce it FEE-NEE. This is probably because they’ve seen a few foreign films made in France. When a French motion picture finally concludes (quite often with the enthusiastic support of its American audience) the word “finis” appears on the screen, or at least it used to. “Finis” in French means the same thing it does in Latin, the language they borrowed it from. However, the French pronounce it their own inimitable way. Since we are much more exposed to French, a language still in wide use, than to spoken Latin (even the Catholic Church dropped it), we automatically assume the “finis” is pronounced with a silent’s.’ Had we all been exposed to motion pictures with a Latin soundtrack this problem would not exist! But even a Latin soundtrack would not help with Jefferson Davis’ middle name. In Latin the name Finis would be pronounced FEE-nis. The traditional Southern pronunciation of the name, however, makes it part of a language all its own.
Like the article, at least someone in this world knows how to pronounce this name. I was stuck with this growing up, always being referred to as Finnis instead of Finis (Fie-nis). I was given this name by my Grandfather, Finis Burrow Jones, who has a Great-Uncle buried in our local confederate cemetary. His name was Finis D. Burrow. Thanks again, and let me know if you’d like further info.