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Origin and history of unitary

unitary(adj.)

1847, "characterized by unity or uniformity;" 1865, "of or relating to a unit;" see unit + -ary.

also from 1847

Entries linking to unitary

unit(n.)

1560s, "single number regarded as an undivided whole," an alteration of unity on the basis of digit. Popularized in John Dee's English translation of Euclid, to express Greek monas (Dee writes that unity formerly was used in this sense).

The meaning "single thing or person regarded as a member of a group" is attested from 1640s. The extended sense of "a quantity adopted as a standard of measure" is from 1738. The sense of "group of wards in a hospital" is attested from 1893.

-ary

adjective and noun word-forming element, in most cases from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium "connected with, pertaining to; the man engaged in," from PIE relational adjective suffix *-yo- "of or belonging to."

The neuter of the adjectives in Latin also were often used as nouns (solarium "sundial," vivarium, honorarium, cucumerarium "a cucumber field," etc.). It appears in words borrowed from Latin in Middle English. In later borrowings from Latin to French, it became -aire and passed into Middle English as -arie, subsequently -ary.

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    mid-14c., amonesten "remind, urge, exhort, warn, give warning," from Old French amonester "urge, encourage, warn" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *admonestare, from Latin admonere "bring to mind, remind (of a debt);" also "warn, advise, urge," from ad "to," here probably with frequenta
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    lieutenant
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    strike
    Middle English striken, from Old English strican (past tense strac, past participle stricen) "pass lightly over, stroke, smooth, rub" (senses now obsolete), also "go, move, proceed, make one's way," from Proto-Germanic *strikanan (source also of Old Norse strykva "to stroke," Old
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