An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

To set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.
Chemistry: To obtain a substance in an uncombined or pure state.
Physics: → isolated system.

Etymology (EN): Isolate, back-formation from isolated, from Fr. isolé “isolated,” from It. isolato, from L. insulatus “made into an island,” from insula “island;” maybe from
*en-salos “in the sea,” from salum “sea.”

Etymology (PE): Vâyutidan, from vâ- denoting “separation” (also “reversal, opposition; repetition; back, backward,” variant of bâz-, from Mid.Pers. abâz-, apâc-; O.Pers. apa- [pref.] “away, from;” Av. apa- [pref.] “away, from,”
apaš [adv.] “toward the back;” cf. Skt. ápāñc “situated behind”) + Mid.Pers. yut “separate, different,”
Mod.Pers. jodâ “separate, apart;” Av. yuta- “separate, apart” + -idan infinitive suffix.