*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of unit

Formerly unite, a later form of unity; see unity.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

For each unit. · Having a size or magnitude of one.

noun

Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one. · A standard measure of a quantity or magnitude. · A basic, self-contained component or module that performs a specific function inside a computer system. · The number one.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Formerly unite, a later form of unity; see unity.

This page abbreviates 23 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "unite",
      "unite#English"
    ],
    [
      "unity",
      "unity#English"
    ],
    [
      "unity",
      "unity#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "For each unit.",
        "Having a size or magnitude of one."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28709
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one.",
        "A standard measure of a quantity or magnitude.",
        "A basic, self-contained component or module that performs a specific function inside a computer system.",
        "The number one."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "bd1aab97ec2917f705eba70dfc8ffc745bb942b289f13ec9ba60abef4ffaf2e1",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a7587e3cc72c184574b59578142e87db0096239bdf884d4f711be523f01c6986",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 28708
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 23,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for unit →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dW5pdA