Really? Semantics!

I know there probably aren't a lot of well-versed/native english speakers on this server, (no disrespect, if you are reading this and fit that description then you know more languages that me!). However, has anyone every found it strange that they called unique items "unique" and rare items "rare"? Think about it, rare means very uncommon, unique means one of a kind. Some uniques can have a lot of variance in their stats, others not that much. Regardless, something like a perfect gheeds (1/10206 chance [20-40 MF= 21, 80-160 GF=81, 10-15 Price Reduce=6, 21*81*6=10206]. And even as rare as that is to get two of the same stat Gheeds, it still happens. Other Uniques, like Magefists or Bloodfists for example, have 11 different defenses (not including base). So, there are TONS of these items on the server each day.

Now take rares, which have almost ZERO chance of being identical. You have varying base items, normal, exceptional, elite, and VERY random stats that can appear, not to mention the chances of suffix/prefix or both, and sockets.

So, since unique means one of a kind, why did that decide to call uniques "unique", and rares "rare", instead of the other way around? Has always puzzled me.

 

uniques can only drop once in a game

 

true.

also the uniqueness can come from the fact that every type of item got only one 'unique' version(not the Elite uniques though). for example there is only one unique tyrant cub the Demon Limb.
Hope this makes sense to you

 

I understand the logic from both of your points, however, I still think its strange that a rare item is actually unique (one of a kind) and a unique item shows repetition

 

Unless monster drops two of them.
Nitty droped me 2 spired helms twice - both times both were Nightwings.

I guess it could be that once one of the monsters drops unique item(or two of them at the same time) next monsters will never drop the same item in the same game.