English
singularity
Singularity comes from Late Latin singulāritās ‘singleness’, and goes back to Latin singulus ‘one each, one apiece’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulus‘one each, one apiece’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulāris‘single’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsingulāritās‘singleness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400singularité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singularite
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1610–1611singularity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulus‘one each, one apiece’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulāris‘single’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsingulāritās‘singleness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400singularité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singularite
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1610–1611singularity
Earliest quotation: c. 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, The Winters Tale: “Your Gallerie / Haue vve paſs'd through, not vvithout…”
Equivalent to singular + -ity
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’
some, same, seem, simple, simply, similar, soft, sam, resemble, assemble, sincerely, simulation, anomaly, resemblance, simultaneous, simulate, semblance, anomalous, homeopathic, assimilate, synapse, homology, sincerity, hyphen, insincere, simile, sempre, synchronise, homolog, simulacrum, 46 more
through Latin singulus ‘one each, one apiece’
Today it means
noun The state of being singular, distinct, peculiar, uncommon or unusual.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin singulus / singularity