Denouement is a captivating literary term that signifies the final segment of a story. Originating from the French word dénouement in 1752, it translates to “untying”. The suffix -ment is used to create nouns, while the verb dénouer is a combination of the negating prefix des- and the root nouer, meaning “tie” or “knot”. Des-, derived from the Latin dis from Proto-Indo-European root dis, which denotes “apart”. Nouer has its roots in Latin nodus, the precursor of the word node, signifying “knot” (originating from Proto-Indo-European ned, meaning “to bind” or “to tie”). Following its rise in popularity during the nineteenth century, the usage of the term denouement in literature has consistently increased, reaching its peak in the 1920s. Interestingly, Google searches for the term experience a surge every September, possibly due to its assignment in language classes for memorization.
