Where does “unicorn” come from?
unicorn (Welsh) comes from Middle English unicorne, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, from Latin ūnicornis, from Latin ūni-, from Latin ūnus, from Old Latin oinos, from Proto-Italic oinos, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
unicorn (Welsh): unicorn
Definitions
- unicorn
Ancestry of “unicorn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | unicorne | unicorn; Any one-horned beast; anger, rage, fury,... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | unicorne | unicorn |
| 3 | Latin | ūnicornis | One-horned |
| 4 | Latin | ūni- | one; uni |
| 5 | Latin | ūnus | one, single |
| 6 | Old Latin | oinos | one |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | oinos | cardinal number 1 Previous: n/a Next: *duō;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |