Etymologically
Log in

unique

Etymology and origin of the French word unique

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1480, Mistère du Viel Testament
Borrowed from
Latin unicus
Ultimate origin
Latin (ūnus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin unus
Latin unicornis
English unicorn
Latin unicus
English unique
French unique
Latin universus

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /y.nik/[1]

Forms

unique (plural uniques)[1] Unicque (1530), unic (1536), uniq (1607).[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ūnicus (“only, sole; matchless”),[3][2][4][5] from Latin ūnus (“one”) (see un).[3][2]

English unique (about 1600) is from French.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Mistère du Viel Testament (about 1480) has Les trois sans fin joincts en vouloir unique, of the three persons of the Trinity united in one will: “which is one, forms a unity”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

In 1495 it meant “alone of its kind”, and in 1579 “only, as opposed to several”, as in l'unique fils d'Hector (Garnier) and fils unique (1512–1573).[3][7] From 1540 it had the qualitative sense “unequalled”: in Amadis, Oriane was called Unique for having no equal in beauty.[3][2] Lesage (1732) uses it for what is fundamentally different from others, and Diderot (1758) has the familiar c'est unique ! “that's extraordinary”.[3][2]

Modern phrases include sens unique (1914), voie unique, parti unique and salaire unique.[8][9] Uniquement dates from 1458 and unicité from 1740.[2]

Timeline

  • 1458 – Uniquement.[2]
  • c. 1480 – Unique in the Mistère du Viel Testament.[3]
  • 1512 – Filz unique.[7]
  • 1540 – “Unequalled”, in Amadis.[3]
  • c. 1600 – English unique.[6]
  • 1758 – C'est unique ! in Diderot.[3]
  • 1914 – Sens unique.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Only, sole, single: fils unique, son unique souci, seul et unique.[9][1]
  2. Single, the same for all: prix unique, monnaie unique, à sens unique: one-way.[10][1]
  3. Unique, unequalled: un talent unique.[10][9]
  4. (familiar) Extraordinary, priceless: il est unique !.[10][3]

Word family

  • unicité
  • uniquement
  • uniquement
  • unicité

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 43a
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Borrowed into

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Unique.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/unique. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·