English
singular
Singular comes from Latin singulāris ‘alone of its kind’, from singulus ‘single’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-1‘one’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulus2‘single’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulāris2‘alone of its kind’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singuler2
- Englishearliest quotation 1387–1400singular2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin singulus
- 2 Wiktionary, English singular
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale: “And God forbid that all a company / Should…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-Wiktionary, Latin singulus‘one’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulusWiktionary, English singular‘single’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsingulārisWiktionary, English singular‘alone of its kind’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singulerWiktionary, English singular
- Englishearliest quotation 1387–1400singularWiktionary, English singular. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale: “And God forbid that all a company / Should…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’
some, same, seem, simple, simply, soft, similar, sam, resemble, assemble, sincerely, simulation, anomaly, resemblance, simultaneous, sincerity, semblance, anomalous, simulate, homeopathic, synapse, assimilate, homology, hyphen, insincere, simile, sempre, synchronise, homolog, simulacrum, 46 more
through Latin singulus ‘single’
Today it means
adj Being only one of a larger population; single, individual.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “singular”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin singulus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sem- / singular