Definition of furnish

The origin of the word "furnish" can be traced back to the Middle English word "furben," which meant "to supply" or "to provide." This word, in turn, was derived from the Old French word "fournir," which had similar meanings. The Old French word "fournir" can be broken down into two parts: "four" (meaning "four") and the Latin suffix "-nare" (meaning "to provide"). The word "four" referred to the number four because this was the number of legs that a typical piece of furniture had at the time. Therefore, "furnir" originally meant "to provide with four legs." Over time, the meaning of "furnish" evolved to encompass the act of providing and stocking a place with various items, not just furniture. Today, "furnish" is commonly used to describe providing any necessary or required items or supplies for a particular purpose or event. However, the original association with providing furniture still lingers in its modern usage.