unilatéral

Forms

unilatéral (feminine unilatérale, masculine plural unilatéraux, feminine plural unilatérales)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin unilateralis, a term of legal Latin recorded from 1662 (Falckner) in the sense “binding only one party”, and in scientific Latin, in Linnaeus (1759), in the sense “arranged on one side”.^[2] The TLF-Étym thus treats both main senses as borrowings from Latin.^[2] The TLFi, the Grand Robert and Wiktionary analyse it instead as formed in French from uni- and latéral, and Wartburg in the FEW likewise sees a French formation.^{[3][4][1][2][5]}

The sense in phonetics is a semantic loan from German unilateral, which the physiologist Ernst Wilhelm Brücke used in 1863;^[2] The English word unilateral in this sense also came from German.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1760 Pothier's Coutumes divides contracts into synallagmatiques and unilateraux, the latter binding only one of the parties, such as a loan of money.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In botany it described flowers set on one side of the stem (Lamarck, 1778).^[2][6] From 1836 it was used in medicine of what affects one side of the body or of an organ.^[2][6] The Civil Code of 1804 uses it of contracts.^[3][6] Littré's Supplément (1877) records the figurative sense “seeing only one side of things”, perhaps influenced by German einseitig.^[2][3] In phonetics it was said from 1888 of a sound made with air passing on one side of the tongue.^[2]

The derivatives unilatéralement (1778) and unilatéralité (1879) followed.^[6]

Timeline

• 1760 – Pothier uses it of contracts binding only one party.^[2]
• 1778 – Lamarck uses it of flowers on one side of the stem.^[2][3][6]
• 1804 – The Civil Code uses it in law.^[3][6]
• 1836 – It is used in medicine.^[2]
• 1877 – Littré's Supplément records the figurative sense.^[2][3]
• 1888 – La Grasserie uses it in phonetics.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Situated or done on one side only: stationnement unilatéral, parking allowed on one side of the street.^[7][8][3]
2. (medicine) Affecting only one side of the body or of an organ: strabisme unilatéral.^[7][8]
3. (botany) Arranged on one side of the stem.^[3][9]
4. (law) Binding only one party: contrat unilatéral, engagement unilatéral (opposed to synallagmatique).^[7][8][9]
5. Coming from one party only, without reciprocity: Le gouvernement a pris une décision unilatérale.^[7][8]
6. Seeing only one side of things, one-sided.^[3][2]
7. (phonetics) Of a sound, articulated with air passing on one side of the tongue.^[2][10]

Word family

• unilatéralement
• unilatéralité

Related words

• latéral
• bilatéral
• multilatéral
• Latin latus
• English unilateral

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 205b
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse