niche
UK[niːʃ]US[nɪtʃ]
n
A specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.
n
A position or role taken by a kind of organism within its ecological community.
n
A shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament.
Etymology
The word 'niche' entered English in the 17th century from the French 'niche', meaning a recess in a wall. The French term derived from the verb 'nicher', 'to nest', which itself came from the Latin 'nīdus', meaning 'nest'. This Latin root can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European nisdós, also meaning 'nest'. The journey from a literal 'nest' to a 'recess' in architecture, and then metaphorically to a specialized position in ecology or commerce, illustrates a classic path of semantic broadening, where a physical, protective space evolves into a concept of a fitting and specialized place within a larger system.
Analysis
The word is a loanword from French, adopted as a single lexical unit. Its spelling and form are not productively segmented using English morphemes.
Examples
The company found a profitable niche selling ergonomic tools for left-handed artists.
Each species occupies a specific niche in the forest ecosystem.
A small statue of a dove was placed in a niche beside the doorway.