Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Bryan Chou]

Excuse me, I have a question about this word "university". Is it consist of united and diversity? I heard this from my friend who has been to America for a year. Hope someone can answer my question, thank U!

[wanderkind]

Etymology: University
From Middle English, "institution of higher learning," "body of persons constituting a university," from Anglo-Norman université, from Old French universitei, from Medieval Latin stem of universitas, in juridical and Late Latin "A number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community, guild, corporation, etc.," in Latin, "the whole, aggregate," from universus (“whole, entire”)
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/university

The root word is somewhat similar to unity, but I think if your friend heard that 'university' came from 'unity + diversity', that was probably something like a catchphrase made by the school to promote good values.