university English · revision 3913

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1300|origins=la ūniversus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˌjuː.nɪˈvɜː.sə.ti/, US /ˌjuː.nəˈvɝː.sə.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|universite]], [[bor|fro|universite|t=universality; academic community]] (Anglo-French [[m|xno|université]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la-med|ūniversitās|t=university]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) which in Late Latin meant a corporation, society or guild, and in Latin the whole, the aggregate,^(Etymonline)^(COED 2004)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|la|ūniversus|t=whole, entire]] and the suffix [[m|la|-itās]], the source of [[-ity]].^(MWU 2024)^(Barnhart 1988) Latin ''ūniversus'' is made of [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]] and [[m|la|versus|t=turned, in a specified direction]].^(AHD) It is related to [[universe]] and [[universal]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An institution of higher learning, and the body of people who make it up: about 1300.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the academic sense the word is short for Medieval Latin ''ūniversitās magistrōrum et scholārium'', “the community of masters and scholars”, and it replaced ''studium'' as the term for such a school.^(Etymonline) So the ''universe'' in ''university'' is not the universe of the stars but a corporate whole.^(AHD) At first the word meant a corporation of teachers and students giving instruction beyond the level of a school,^(SOED 2002) and Etymonline describes the medieval university as granting a licence to teach and higher degrees.^(Etymonline) From the 14th to the 17th century English also used it for “the whole of everything”,^(Etymonline) and between 1553 and 1677 for universality.^(HTOED) ''University'' as an attribute, as in ''university education'', dates from 1374.^(HTOED) The Latin word is also the source of Spanish ''universidad'', German ''Universität'' and Russian ''universitet''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – an institution of higher learning.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1374 – used attributively.^(HTOED)

+ * 1553–1677 – universality.^(HTOED)

+ * 14th–17th century – the whole of everything.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An institution of higher learning, with teaching and research, that awards [[bachelor|alt=bachelor's]] and higher [[degree|alt=degrees]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The buildings and grounds of such an institution.^(AHD)

+ # The students and teachers of such an institution.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antiuniversity]]

+ * [[interuniversity]]

+ * [[multiversity]]

+ * [[nonuniversity]]

+ * [[preuniversity]]

+ * [[varsity]]

+ * [[free university]]

+ * [[university extension]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[universal]]

+ * [[universe]]

+ * [[college]]

+ * [[faculty]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}