(Late) Friday word: Sui Generis

[med_cat]

sui generis, adj.
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sui ge·​ner·​is | \ ˌsü-ˌī-ˈje-nə-rəs
; ˌsü-ē-ˈje-, -ˈge-\

: constituting a class alone : unique, peculiar

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English contains many terms that ultimately trace back to the Latin forms gener- or "genus" (which are variously translated as "birth," "race," "kind," and "class"). Offspring of those roots include "general," "generate," "generous," "generic," "degenerate," and "gender." But "sui generis" is truly a one-of-a-kind "gener-" descendant that English speakers have used for singular things since the late 1600s. Its earliest uses were in scientific contexts, where it identified substances, principles, diseases, and even rocks that were unique or that seemed to be the only representative of their class or group. By the early 1900s, however, "sui generis" had expanded beyond solely scientific contexts, and it is now used more generally for anything that stands alone.

First Known Use: 1615

Etymology

Latin, of its own kind

Example:

A meme, a mogul, a mental health advocate — Oprah Winfrey was all three in 2021, as well as must-see TV.

Since the end of her groundbreaking daytime series, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” in 2011, the former talk-show host and now sui generis personality has co-starred in high-profile films like “Selma,” “The Butler” and “A Wrinkle in Time.” But the last 12 months saw a mini-resurgence of Winfrey’s presence in the medium that she made her own.

(Source: 10 years after the end of her iconic show, Oprah Winfrey still best embodies TV today)