'unipedal' originates from Latin-derived elements: the prefix 'uni-' from Latin 'unus' meaning 'one' and the root 'pedal' from Latin 'pes, ped-' meaning 'foot'.

'unipedal' was formed in English by combining Latin-derived 'uni-' + 'pedal', modeled on forms like 'bipedal' (from Latin 'bi-' + 'pedal') and other -pedal compounds in modern scientific/technical usage.

The term originally and historically has been used to denote having or using a single foot; this basic anatomical/positional meaning has been retained in modern usage.