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Origin and history of university

university(n.)

c. 1300, universite, "institution of higher learning," granting license to teach and other higher degrees; also "body of scholars and other persons associated for the purpose of study," from Anglo-French université, Old French universite "universality; academic community" (13c.), from Medieval Latin universitatem (nominative universitas), "the whole, aggregate," in Late Latin "corporation, society," from universus "whole, entire" (see universe).

In the academic sense, it represents a shortening of universitas magistrorum et scholarium "community of masters and scholars;" it superseded studium as the word for this. The Latin word also is the source of Spanish universidad, German universität, Russian universitet, etc. In English it sometimes also was used 14c.-17c. for "the whole of everything."

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to university

universe(n.)

1580s, "the whole world, the cosmos, the totality of existing things," from Old French univers (12c.), from Latin universum "all things, everybody, all people, the whole world," noun use of neuter of adjective universus "all together, all in one, whole, entire, relating to all."

This is, etymologically, "turned into one," from unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") + past participle of vertere "to turn, turn back, be turned; convert, transform, translate; be changed" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend").

Chaucer used it, perhaps from Italian universo in Boccaccio, of the gods in "Troilus and Criseyde:"

Ye folk a lawe han set in universe;
And this knowe I by hem that lovers be,
That whoso stryveth with yow hath the werse.
varsity(adj.)

1825, "university," variant of earlier versity (1670s), shortened form of university. Compare varsal (1690s), short for universal (used by Swift, Scott); varmint from vermin; and Grose's "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" (1788) has vardy as slang for verdict. "Used in English universities, and affected to some extent in American colleges" [Century Dictionary].

*oi-no-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "one, unique."

It might form all or part of: a (1) indefinite article; alone; an; Angus; anon; atone; any; eleven; inch (n.1) "linear measure, one-twelfth of a foot;" lone; lonely; non-; none; null; once; one; onion; ounce (n.1) unit of weight; quincunx; triune; unanimous; unary; une; uni-; Uniate; unilateral; uncial; unicorn; union; unique; unison; unite; unity; universal; universe; university; zollverein.

It might also be the source of: Greek oinos "ace (on dice);" Latin unus "one;" Old Persian aivam; Old Church Slavonic -inu, ino-; Lithuanian vienas; Old Irish oin; Breton un "one;" Old English an, German ein, Gothic ains "one."

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    Trends of university

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    Oxford
    university town in England, Middle English Oxforde, from Old English Oxnaforda (10c.) literally "where the oxen ford" (see...In reference to an accent supposedly characteristic of members of the university, by 1855....Oxford comma for "serial comma" (the second in A, B, and C) is attested by 1990s, from its being used by Oxford University...Fowler, long associated with Oxford University, in his influential and authoritative book on English usage (1926) in which...
    baccalaureate
    1620s, "university degree of a bachelor," from Modern Latin baccalaureatus, from baccalaureus "student with the first degree...," an alteration of Medieval Latin baccalarius "one who has attained the lowest degree in a university, an advanced student...This is from the word's adjectival sense of "pertaining to the university degree of bachelor."...
    semester
    1827, "period or term of six months," specifically, a half-year course in a German or other Continental university, from...German Semester "half-year course in a university," from Latin semestris, in cursus semestris "course of six months," from...
    nuanced
    The new co-operative history of English literature which the University of Cambridge is now publishing prints "genre" without...It is terrible to think of the bad language the scholars of the venerable English university might have used if "nuanced"...
    academic
    The meaning "theoretical, not practical, not leading to a decision" (such as university debates or classroom legal exercises...As a noun, "student in college or university life," 1580s (Latin academicus, Greek akadēmikoi meant "Academic philosopher...
    fertile
    Breasted (1865-1935) of University of Chicago in "Outlines of European History," Part I....
    syndic
    Meaning "accredited representative of a university or other corporation" first found c. 1600. Related: Syndical....
    Academe
    "The Academy," as a place where arts and sciences were taught, 1580s, from phrase groves of Academe (translating Horace's silvas Academi), the name of the public gymnasium and gardens near Athens where Plato taught, from Greek he Akadēmeia (see academy). Latin academia also was u
    establishment
    late 15c., "settled arrangement," also "income, property," from establish + -ment. Meaning "established church" is from 1731; Sense of "place of business" is from 1832. Meaning "social matrix of ruling people and institutions" is attested occasionally from 1923, consistently from
    gown
    long, loose outer garment, c. 1300, from Old French goune "robe, coat; (nun's) habit, gown," related to Late Latin gunna "leather garment, skin, hide," of unknown origin. Used by St. Boniface (8c.) for a fur garment permitted for old or infirm monks. Klein writes that it is proba

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