onefold

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English

English numbers (edit)
10
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    Cardinal: one
    Ordinal: first
    Latinate ordinal: primary
    Reverse order ordinal: last
    Latinate reverse order ordinal: ultimate
    Adverbial: one time, once
    Multiplier: onefold
    Latinate multiplier: single
    Distributive: singly
    Germanic collective: onesome
    Collective of n parts: singlet, singleton
    Greek or Latinate collective: monad
    Greek collective prefix: mono-
    Latinate collective prefix: uni-
    Fractional: whole
    Elemental: singlet, singleton
    Greek prefix: proto-
    Number of musicians: solo
    Number of years: year

Etymology

From Middle English onfold, anfald (single, simple, honest, onefold), from Old English ānfeald (single, simple, literally onefold), from Proto-West Germanic *ainfald, from Proto-Germanic *ainafalþaz (onefold, simple), equivalent to one +‎ -fold. Cognate with Dutch eenvoud (simplicity, easiness), German Einfalt (simplicity) and einfach (simple), Icelandic einfaldur (simple), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐍃 (ainfalþs, simple). More at one, -fold.

Adjective

onefold (not comparable)

  1. Constituting or being indicative of a single aspect or theme.
  2. Consisting of a single undivided part; whole; complete.
    • 2005, Boeve, Geybels, Van den Bossche, Encountering transcendence:
      There the soul is onefold, pure and chaste, and empty of all things.
  3. Simple, plain, straightforward.
    • 1875, Mrs. Oliphant, Whiteladies:
      object was simple enough; but it was too simple—too onefold (if I may borrow an expressive word from my native tongue: ae-fauld we write it in Scotch) for the apprehension of ordinary persons
  4. Singular, as opposite to plural.
    • 1844, Robert Rollock, Select works of Robert Rollock:
      Ye see how ready men are to misconstrue and pervert the onefold meaning of the Lord.

Antonyms

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Further reading