unicus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈuː.nɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈuː.ni.kus]^[1]

Forms

ūnicus (feminine ūnica, neuter ūnicum, adverb ūnicē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin unus (“one”) + -icus, as in bellicus and pūblicus.^[2][1] ūnus continues Proto-Italic *oinos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“one”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it of a person's only son, tuus unicus gnatus, and of having only one garment.^[3][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is one and only, sole, as of an only son or daughter in Terence and Cicero, or the only hope in Livy.^[2][5] Lucretius joins it with sōlus, “one and alone”.^[5] From Afranius on it also meant having no match, singular, outstanding, as Cicero's unique example of old-time honesty.^[2][6]

In medieval British Latin it was also used as a noun for an only child or son.^[7] Köbler records a medieval noun for an unmarried man.^[4] English unique came from French around 1600 as “single, solitary”, and as “the only one of its kind” from the 1610s.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an only son.^[3][4]
• 2nd half of the 2nd century BC – Afranius uses it of a unique talent.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a unique example.^[6][4]
• c. 1600 – English unique is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. One and only, sole, single.^[2][3]
2. Having no match, singular, unique; outstanding.^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin, as noun) An only child, only son.^[7]

Word family

• ūnicitās

Related words

• ūnus
• English unique

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com