Etymologically
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unique

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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)