In English, the word "university" comes from the predecessor of the word "universe". The predecessor of "Universe" is "Universus" in Latin, which consists of "Unus" which means "One" and "Universus" which means "along a specific direction", so "Universus" literally means "along a specific direction". "Universum" is the neutral singular form of "Universus". When used as a noun, it means "the universe". Similarly, the derivative word "Universitas" also refers to "a group of individuals and associations". In the Middle Ages, Latin was used in government, religion and education. The word "Universitas" has been used to refer to new alliances between teachers and students, such as universities in Salerno, Paris and Oxford. This kind of consortium is the embryonic form of today's university. Today, the word university can be traced back to Latin. The earliest record is around 1300, which was used to refer to this kind of consortium.