English
primary
Primary is borrowed from Latin prīmārius ‘of the first rank, chief’, from prīmus ‘first’ + -ārius.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmus‘first’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmārius‘of the first rank; chief’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659primary
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmus‘first’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmārius‘of the first rank; chief’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659primary
Earliest quotation: 1659, John Pearson: “the church of Christ, in its primary institution”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, in front’
first, before, support, per, report, further, far, opportunity, press, practice, private, price, port, fear, pre, appreciate, afford, ford, forth, pregnant, practical, precious, prize, interpretation, praise, pirate, parade, privilege, par, porch, ferry, fare, pardon, interpreter, pore, petra, depreciation, prix, proton, firth, 154 more
through Proto-Indo-European *préy ‘before, in front’
through Latin prīmus
prime, primitive, primo, primus, 13 more
through Latin prīmārius ‘of the first (rank)’
Today it means
adj First or earliest in a group or series.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin prīmus / primary