What is the Origin of the Term 'Uniform'?

Uniform means a specific kind of dress worn by all of the members of an organization or a team like the military, the police etc. Uniforms vary according to culture and time. The word "uniform" is derived from Latin Vulgaris, an adjective referring to the dress of a knight. A uniform is generally used to refer to some article of dress of a common nature worn together with other articles of dress usually worn together.

Each of the 5 senses has an individual sense associated with it. It is possible that there are several senses associated with the word uniform but not one which refer to all of them. The most obvious example of this is socks and shoes, which all have at least one sense associated with them. So, when we say socks and shoes we do mean all of them, but they each have their own associated sense.

There are several ways by which people can be said to wear a uniform. As a noun, it can mean a single article of clothing, generally including socks, shoes or a dress (both genders may be mentioned). As a verb, it means to wear or put on (1st place - often shortened to 'zhayon') or to join forces (a board game in some communities). In the context of the military, towear a uniform literally meansto fight in a uniform. Another example of the use of the term uniform in a nonmilitary context can be found in the word golf: the rules of the game require that the players are uniformed.

The origin of the term is not clear. Etymology experts believe that it originated with the German term Euterpe, meaning "a covering for the organs of the body". However there is no evidence to support this theory. Other theories suggest that the origin may be to do with the fact that the military uniforms were originally called Batikas, which in turn may be related to the Arabic phrase Al-Zawra, meaning "ornament of hides".

Whatever the original etymology of the term, it is now generally used to describe any sort of garment or article of clothing that is worn for one reason or another. Some examples of articles of clothing that would be considered to be uniforms in the modern sense of the term are the coat, hat, bow tie and boots. But it would be a mistake to say that uniform dress is used by all organisations or government services, as there are many cultural differences around the world and there are many types of uniform that are customised for particular groups.

The term uniform has developed various other ways, in addition to the original meaning of Euterpe, in which it is referred to the articles of dress worn in the military. It now refers to the dress worn at work, in sport and in some social situations. The meaning is usually associated with the idea of uniformity, as when it comes to dress in general. A very famous example of this is the military dress uniform, which is worn by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.