Etymology dictionary

U

U — unalienable (adj.)

U

for historical evolution, see V. Used punningly for you by 1588 ["Love's Labour's Lost," V.i.60], not long after the pronunciation shift that made the vowel a homonym of the pronoun. As a simple shorthand (without intentional word-play), it is recorded from 1862. Common in business abbreviations since 1923 (such as U-Haul, attested from 1951).

The substitution of Middle English -o- for Old English -u- before -m-, -n-, or -r- was a French scribal habit before minims to avoid misreading the letters in the old style handwriting, which jammed them together. The practice transformed some, come, monk, tongue, worm.

U-bahn (n.)

German or Austrian subway system, 1938 (originally in reference to Berlin), from German U-bahn, short for Untergrund-bahn, literally "underground railway."

ubeity (n.)

"whereness," 1670s, from Modern Latin ubietas, from Latin ubi "where" (see ubi).

ubi

"place, location, position," 1610s, common in English c. 1640-1740, from Latin ubi "where?, in which place, in what place," relative pronominal adverb of place, ultimately from PIE *kwo-bhi- (source also of Sanskrit kuha, Old Church Slavonic kude "where"), locative case of pronominal root *kwo-. Ubi sunt, literally "where are" (1914), in reference to lamentations for the mutability of things is from a phrase used in certain Medieval Latin Christian works.

ubiquity (n.)

"omnipresence," 1570s, from Modern Latin ubiquitas, from Latin ubique "everywhere," from ubi "where" (see ubi) + -que "and," also "any, also, ever," as a suffix giving universal meaning to the word it is attached to, from PIE root *kwe "and, -ever" (source also of Hittite -kku "now, even, and;" Sanskrit -ca, Avestan -ca "and, also, if;" Greek -te "and;" Gothic -uh "and, also," nih "if not").

Originally a Lutheran theological position maintaining the omnipresence of Christ.

ubiquitous (adj.)

"being, existing, or turning up everywhere," 1800, from ubiquity + -ous. The earlier word was ubiquitary (c. 1600), from Modern Latin ubiquitarius, from ubique (see ubiquity). Related: Ubiquitously; ubiquitousness.

U-boat (n.)

1916 (said to have been in use from 1913), partial translation of German U-Boot, short for Unterseeboot, literally "undersea boat."

udder (n.)

Old English udder "milk gland of a cow, goat, etc.," from Proto-Germanic *udr- (source also of Old Frisian uder, Middle Dutch uyder, Dutch uijer, Old High German utar, German Euter, and, with unexplained change of consonant, Old Norse jugr), from PIE *eue-dh-r "udder" (source also of Sanskrit udhar, Greek outhar, Latin uber "udder, breast").

UFO (n.)

1953, abbreviation of Unidentified Flying Object, which is attested from 1950.

ufology (n.)

1959, from UFO + -logy.

ug (v.)

early 13c., "to inspire fear or loathing;" mid-14c. "to feel fear or loathing," from Old Norse ugga "to fear, dread" (see ugly). Related: Ugging.

Uganda

from Swahili u "land, country" + Ganda, indigenous people name, which is of unknown origin. Related: Ugandan.

Ugaritic

1936, "pertaining to Ugarit," ancient city of northern Syria, and especially to the Semitic language first discovered there 1929 by Claude Schaeffer, from Ugarit, which probably is ultimately from Sumerian ugaru "field."

ugh

1765, imitative of the sound of a cough; as an interjection of disgust, recorded from 1822. Form ough is from 1560s.

ugly (adj.)

mid-13c., uglike "frightful or horrible in appearance," from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse uggligr "dreadful, fearful," from uggr "fear, apprehension, dread" (perhaps related to agg "strife, hate") + -ligr "-like" (see -ly (1)). Meaning softened to "very unpleasant to look at" late 14c. Extended sense of "morally offensive" is attested from c. 1300; that of "ill-tempered" is from 1680s.

Among words for this concept, ugly is unusual in being formed from a root for "fear, dread." More common is a compound meaning "ill-shaped" (such as Greek dyseides, Latin deformis, Irish dochrud, Sanskrit ku-rupa). Another Germanic group has a root sense of "hate, sorrow" (see loath). Ugly duckling (1877) is from the story by Hans Christian Andersen, first translated from Danish to English 1846. Ugly American "U.S. citizen who behaves offensively abroad" is first recorded 1958 as a book title.

ugliness (n.)

"repulsiveness of appearance," late 14c., from ugly + -ness.

uglification (n.)

1820 (Shelley), noun of action from uglify.

uglify (v.)

1570s; see ugly + -fy. Related: uglified; uglifying.

uh

inarticulate sound, attested from c. 1600; uh-huh, spoken affirmative (often ironic or non-committal) is recorded by 1894; negative uh-uh is attested from 1924.

UHF

1937, abbreviation of ultra-high frequency (1932) in reference to radio frequencies in the range of 300 to 3,000 megahertz.

uhlan (n.)

type of cavalryman, 1753, from German Uhlan, from Polish ułan "a lancer," from Turkish oghlan "a youth." For sense evolution, compare infantry.

uilleann

in uilleann pipe, from Irish uilleann "elbow," from Old Irish uilenn, from PIE *ol-ena-, from root *el- "elbow, forearm."

uke (n.)

short for ukulele, by 1915.

U.K.

abbreviation of United Kingdom, attested from 1883.

ukase (n.)

"decree issued by a Russian emperor," 1729, from Russian ukaz "edict," back-formation from ukazat' "to show, decree, to order," from Old Church Slavonic ukazati, from u- "away," perhaps here an intensive prefix, from PIE *au- (2) "off, away" + kazati "to show, order," from Slavic *kaz- (related to the first element of Casimir), from PIE root *kwek- "to appear, show."

Ukraine

by 1670s, from Russian or Polish Ukraina, a specific use of ukraina "border, frontier," according to Room, from Old Russian oukraina, from ou "by, at" + kraj region. He also notes that "The territory was so called because it was the borderland or 'frontier zone' of medieval Russia at the time of the Tatar invasion in the 13th century."

Related: Ukrainian.

ukulele (n.)

1896, from Hawaiian 'ukulele, literally "leaping flea," from 'uku "louse, flea" + lele "to fly, jump, leap." Noted earlier in English as the Hawaiian word for "flea." The instrument so called from the rapid motion of the fingers in playing it. It developed from a Portuguese instrument introduced to the islands c. 1879.

-ule

word-forming element meaning "small, little" (in capsule, module, etc.), from French -ule, from Latin diminutive suffix -ulus (fem. -ula, neuter -ulum), from PIE *-(o)lo-, from *-lo-, secondary suffix forming diminutives, which also is the source of the first element in native diminutive suffix -ling.

-ular

word-forming element, see -ule + -ar.

ulcer (n.)

c. 1400, from Old French ulcere, from Vulgar Latin *ulcerem, from Latin ulcus (genitive ulceris) "ulcer, a sore," figuratively "painful subject," from PIE *elk-es- "wound" (source also of Greek elkos "a wound, sore, ulcer," Sanskrit Related: arsah "hemorrhoids").

ulcerous (adj.)

early 15c., from Latin ulcerosus "full of sores," from stem of ulcus (see ulcer).

ulema (n.)

"scholars of Muslim religious law," 1680s, from Arabic 'ulema "learned men, scholars," plural of 'alim "learned," from 'alama "to know."

-ulent

word-forming element meaning "full of, abounding in," from Latin adjective suffix -ulentus "full of."

ullage (n.)

"amount by which a cask or bottle falls short of being full," late 15c., from Anglo-French ulliage (early 14c.), Anglo-Latin oliagium (late 13c.), Old French ouillage, from ouiller "to fill up (a barrel) to the bung," literally "to fill to the eye," from ueil "eye" (perhaps used colloquially for "bung"), from Latin oculus (from PIE root *okw- "to see").

ulna (n.)

inner bone of the forearm, 1540s, medical Latin, from Latin ulna "the elbow," also a measure of length, from PIE *el-ina-, extended form of root *el- "elbow, forearm." Related: Ulnar.

Ulrich

masc. proper name, German, from Old High German Uodalrich, literally "of a rich home," from uodal "home, nobility" (related to Old English æðele "noble," Old Norse oðal "home").

Ulster

northernmost of the four provinces of Ireland, 14c., from Anglo-French Ulvestre (early 13c.), Anglo-Latin Ulvestera (c. 1200), corresponding to Old Norse Ulfastir, probably from Irish Ulaidh "men of Ulster" + suffix also found in Leinster, Munster, and perhaps representing Irish tir "land."

ult.

see ultimo.

ulterior (adj.)

1640s, "on the other side of," from Latin ulterior "more distant, more remote, farther, on the farther side," comparative of *ulter "beyond" (from suffixed form of PIE root *al- "beyond"). The sense "not at present in view or consideration" (as in ulterior motives) is attested from 1735.

ultimate (adj.)

1650s, from Late Latin ultimatus, past participle of ultimare "to be final, come to an end," from Latin ultimus (fem. ultima) "last, final, farthest, most distant, extreme," superlative of *ulter "beyond" (from suffixed form of PIE root *al- "beyond"). As a noun from 1680s. Ultimate Frisbee is attested by 1972.

ultimatum (n.)

"final demand," 1731, from Modern Latin, from Medieval Latin ultimatum "a final statement," noun use of Latin adjective ultimatum "last possible, final," neuter of ultimatus (see ultimate). The Latin plural ultimata was used by the Romans as a noun, "what is farthest or most remote; the last, the end." In slang c. 1820s, ultimatum was used for "the buttocks."

ultimo (adv.)

"in the month preceding the present," 1610s, common in abbreviated form ult. in 18c.-19c. correspondence and newspapers, from Latin ultimo (mense) "of last (month)," ablative singular masc. of ultimus "last" (see ultimate). Earlier it was used in the sense of "on the last day of the month specified" (1580s). Contrasted with proximo "in the next (month)," from Latin proximo (mense).

ultra-

word-forming element meaning "beyond" (ultraviolet) or "extremely" (ultramodern), from Latin ultra- from ultra (adv. and prep.) "beyond, on the other side, on the farther side, past, over, across," from PIE *ol-tero-, suffixed form of root *al- "beyond." In common use from early 19c., it appears to have arisen from French political designations. As its own word, a noun meaning "extremist" of various stripes, it is first recorded 1817, from French ultra, shortening of ultra-royaliste "extreme royalist."

ultra-conservative (adj.)

1828, from ultra- "beyond" + conservative (adj.).

ultralight (adj.)

1959, from ultra- + light (adj.1). As a noun meaning "ultralight aircraft" it is recorded by 1979.

ultramarine (n.)

1590s, "blue pigment made from lapis lazuli," from Medieval Latin ultramarinus, literally "beyond the sea," from Latin ultra- "beyond" (from suffixed form of PIE root *al- "beyond") + marinus "of the sea," from mare "sea, the sea, seawater," from PIE root *mori- "body of water." Said to be so called because the mineral was imported from Asia.

ultramontane (adj.)

1590s, from French ultramontain "beyond the mountains" (especially the Alps), from Old French (early 14c.), from Latin ultra "beyond" (from suffixed form of PIE root *al- (1) "beyond") + stem of mons "hill" (from PIE root *men- (2) "to project"). Used especially of papal authority, though "connotation varies according to the position of the speaker or writer." [Weekley]

ultranationalism (n.)

also ultra-nationalism, 1845, from ultra- "beyond" + nationalism. Related: Ultranationalist

ultrasonic (adj.)

"having frequency beyond the audible range," 1923, from ultra- "beyond" + sonic. For sense, see supersonic.

ultrasonography (n.)

1960, from ultrasonic + -graphy.

ultrasound (adj.)

1911, from ultra- "beyond" + sound (n.1). Compare ultrasonic. In reference to ultrasonic techniques of detection or diagnosis it is recorded from 1958.

ultraviolet (adj.)

"beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum," 1840, from ultra- "beyond" + violet. Ultra-red (1870) was a former name for what now is called infra-red.

ultra vires

Latin, literally "beyond powers," from ultra "beyond" (see ultra-) + vires "strength, force, vigor, power," plural of vis (see vim). Usually "beyond the legal or constitutional power of a court, etc."

ululation (n.)

1590s, from Latin ululationem (nominative ululatio) "a howling or wailing," noun of action from past-participle stem of ululare "to howl, yell, shriek, wail, lament loudly," from a reduplicated imitative root (source also of Greek ololyzein "to cry aloud," Sanskrit ululih "a howling," Lithuanian uliuoti "to howl," Gaelic uileliugh "wail of lamentation," Old English ule "owl").

ululate (v.)

1620s, back-formation from ululation, or else from Latin ululatus, past participle of ululare. Related: Ululated; ululating.

Ulysses

Latin name for Odysseus, from Latin Ulysses, Ulixes. Famous for wandering as well as craftiness and ability at deceit. For -d- to -l- alteration, see lachrymose.

um

a sound denoting hesitation, 1670s.

Umayyad

also Omayyad, member of a Muslim dynasty which ruled the Caliphate 661-750 C.E. and in 756 C.E. founded an emirate in Spain, 1758, from Arabic, from Umayya, proper name of an ancestor of Muhammad from whom the dynasty claimed descent.

umbel (n.)

1590s in botany, from Latin umbella "parasol, sunshade," diminutive of umbra "shade, shadow" (see umbrage).

umber (n.)

brown earthy pigment, 1560s, from French ombre (in terre d'ombre), or Italian ombra (in terra di ombra), both from Latin umbra "shade, shadow" (see umbrage) or else from Umbra, fem. of Umber "belonging to Umbria," region in central Italy from which the coloring matter first came (compare Sienna). Burnt umber, specially prepared and redder in color, is attested from c. 1650, distinguished from raw umber.

umbilical (adj.)

"pertaining to the navel," 1540s, from Medieval Latin umbilicalis "of the navel," from Latin umbilicus "navel" (see umbilicus). Umbilical cord attested by 1753 (the native term is navel string).

umbilicus (n.)

"navel," 1610s, from Latin umbilicus "the navel," also "the center" of anything, from PIE *ombh-alo-, suffixed variant form of root *(o)nobh- "navel" (see navel). In English, mostly confined to medical writing. Latin umbilicus is source of Spanish ombligo as well as Old French lombril, literally "the navel," from l'ombril, which by dissimilation became Modern French nombril (12c.).

umbles (n.)

"edible inner parts of a deer or other animal," c. 1400, see humble.

umbo (n.)

"boss of a shield," 1921, from Latin umbo "shield-boss, knob, projection."

umbra (n.)

1590s, "phantom, ghost," a figurative use from Latin umbra "shade, shadow" (see umbrage). The astronomical sense of "shadow cast by the earth or moon during an eclipse" is recorded by 1670s. The meaning "an uninvited guest accompanying an invited one" is from 1690s in English, from a secondary sense among the Romans. Related: Umbral.

umbrage (n.)

early 15c., "shadow, darkness, shade," from Old French ombrage "shade, shadow," from noun use of Latin umbraticum "of or pertaining to shade; being in retirement," neuter of umbraticus "of or pertaining to shade," from umbra "shade, shadow," from PIE root *andho- "blind; dark" (source also of Sanskrit andha-, Avestan anda- "blind, dark").

The English word had many figurative uses in 17c.; the one remaining, "suspicion that one has been slighted," is recorded by 1610s; hence phrase to take umbrage at, attested from 1670s. Perhaps the sense notion is similar to whatever inspired the modern (by 2013) slang verbal phrase throw shade "(subtly) insult (something or someone)."

umbrageous (adj.)

"shady," 1580s, from French ombrageux, from Old French umbrageus, from umbre "shade," from Latin umbra "shade, shadow" (see umbrage).

umbrella (n.)

"hand-held portable canopy which opens and folds," c. 1600, first attested in Donne's letters, from Italian ombrello, from Late Latin umbrella, altered (by influence of umbra) from Latin umbella "sunshade, parasol," diminutive of umbra "shade, shadow" (see umbrage).

A sunshade in the Mediterranean, a shelter from the rain in England; in late 17c. usage, usually as an Oriental or African symbol of dignity. Said to have been used by women in England from c. 1700; the use of rain-umbrellas carried by men there traditionally is dated to c. 1750, first by Jonas Hathaway, noted traveler and philanthropist. Figurative sense of "authority, unifying quality" (usually in a phrase such as under the umbrella of) is recorded from 1948.

Umbrian

c. 1600, noun and adjective, in reference to Umbria, ancient region of central Italy, or its people or the Italic language they spoke.

umiak (n.)

large Eskimo boat, c. 1743, from Eskimo umiaq "an open skin boat." Said by 18c.-19c. sources to be a "woman's boat," as opposed to the kayak, which was worked exclusively by men.

umlaut (n.)

1852, from German umlaut "change of sound," from um "about" (from Proto-Germanic umbi, from PIE root *ambhi- "around") + laut "sound," from Old High German hlut (from Proto-Germanic *hludaz "heard, loud," from suffixed form of PIE root *kleu- "to hear"). Coined 1774 by poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1724-1803) but first used in its current sense "modification of vowels" 1819 by linguist Jakob Grimm (1785-1863).

The scribal use of umlaut marks in German began 14c. as the pronunciation of some sounds simplified, to indicate the older ("proper") pronunciation; originally it was a full letter -e- above a -u- (later also added to -a- and -o-).

umma (n.)

"the Islamic community," founded by Muhammad and bound to one another by religious ties and obligations, 1855, from Arabic 'umma "people, community, nation."

ump (n.)

short for umpire (n.), by 1915, American English.

umpire (n.)

mid-14c., noumper, from Old French nonper "odd number, not even," in reference to a third person to arbitrate between two, from non "not" (see non-) + per "equal," from Latin par "equal" (see par (n.)). Initial -n- lost by mid-15c. due to faulty separation of a noumpere, heard as an oumpere. Originally legal, the gaming sense first recorded 1714 (in wrestling).

umpire (v.)

1610s, from umpire (n.). Related: Umpired; umpiring.

umpteen (adj.)

by 1907, popularized in World War I army slang, from umpty + -teen. Related: Umpteenth.

umpty

1905, "of an indefinite number," originally Morse code slang for "dash," influenced by association with numerals such as twenty, thirty, etc.

une (v.)

"to unite," c. 1400, from Late Latin unire "to make into one" (transitive), from unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique").

un- (1)

prefix of negation, Old English un-, from Proto-Germanic *un- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old High German, German un-, Gothic un-, Dutch on-), from PIE *n- (source of Sanskrit a-, an- "not," Greek a-, an-, Old Irish an-, Latin in-), combining form of PIE root *ne- "not." Often euphemistic (such as untruth for "lie").

The most prolific of English prefixes, freely and widely used in Old English, where it forms more than 1,000 compounds. It underwent a mass extinction in early Middle English, but emerged with renewed vigor 16c. to form compounds with native and imported words. It disputes with Latin-derived cognate in- (1) the right to form the negation of certain words (indigestable/undigestable, etc.), and though both might be deployed in cooperation to indicate shades of meaning (unfamous/infamous), typically they are not.

It also makes words from phrases (such as uncalled-for, c. 1600; undreamed-of, 1630s; uncome-at-able, 1690s; unputdownable, 1947, of a book; un-in-one-breath-utterable, Ben Jonson; etc., but the habit is not restricted to un-; such as put-up-able-with, 1812). As a prefix in telegramese to replace not and save the cost of a word, it is attested by 1936.

U.N.

abbreviation of United Nations, attested from 1946.

un- (2)

prefix of reversal, deprivation, or removal (as in unhand, undo, unbutton), Old English on-, un-, from Proto-Germanic *andi- (source also of Old Saxon ant-, Old Norse and-, Dutch ont-, Old High German ant-, German ent-, Gothic and- "against"), from PIE *anti "facing opposite, near, in front of, before, against" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before").

More or less confused with un- (1) through similarity in the notions of "negation" and "reversal;" an adjective such as unlocked might represent "not locked" (un- (1)) or the past tense of unlock (un- (2)).

unabated (adj.)

1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of abate (v.).

unabashed (adj.)

1570s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of abash (v.). Related: Unabashedly.

unable (adj.)

late 14c., "lacking in ability, incapable," from un- (1) "not" + able (adj.). Modeled on Old French inhabile or Latin inhabilis.

unabridged (adj.)

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of abridge (v.). Since 19c. chiefly in reference to literary works.

unaccented (adj.)

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accent (v.).

unacceptable (adj.)

late 15c., from un- (1) "not" + acceptable. Related: Unacceptably.

unaccompanied (adj.)

1540s, "not in the company of others, having no companions," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accompany (v.). Musical sense "without instrumental accompaniment" is first recorded 1818.

unaccomplished (adj.)

1520s, "not finished," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accomplish (v.). Meaning "not furnished with social or intellectual accomplishments" is from 1729 (see accomplished).

unaccountable (adj.)

1640s, "inexplicable," from un- (1) "not" + accountable (adj.) here meaning "of which an account can be given." Meaning "not liable to be called to account" is recorded from 1640s. Related: Unaccountably; unaccountability; unaccountableness.

unaccredited (adj.)

1828, from un- (1) "not" + accredited.

unaccustomed (adj.)

1520s, "not customary, unfamiliar," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accustom (v.). Meaning "not accustomed or habituated" (to) is first attested 1610s (see accustomed).

unacknowledged (adj.)

1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of acknowledge (v.).

unacquainted (adj.)

1520s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of acquaint (v.).

unadorned (adj.)

1630s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of adorn (v.).

unadulterated (adj.)

1719, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of adulterate (v.).

unadvertised (adj.)

mid-15c., "uninformed, unadvised," from un- (1) + advertised. Sense of "not announced or made known" is from 1864.

unaffected (adj.)

1580s, "not influenced, untouched in mind or feeling," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of affect (v.). Meaning "not adopted or assumed, genuine" is recorded from 1590s; that of "not acted upon or altered (by something)" is first attested 1830. Related: Unaffectedly; unaffectedness.