English
primer
Primer comes from Middle English primer.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500primer
- Englishearliest quotation 1959same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500primer
- Englishearliest quotation 1959same form
Earliest quotation: 1959: “[...] The two assets of the book are clear…”
A compound of primarius ‘one of the first, of the first rank, chief,…’ + primarium ‘prayer book’
Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- ‘before, in front’
Proto-Italic *pri
Proto-Italic *prīzmos ‘foremost, first’
Latin prīmus ‘first’
Medieval Latin primarius ‘one of the first, of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent’
Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- ‘before, in front’
Proto-Italic *pri
Proto-Italic *prīzmos ‘foremost, first’
Latin prīmus ‘first’
Medieval Latin prīmārius ‘prayer book’
The story
From Middle English primer, primere, from Medieval Latin primarius and primarium (‘prayer book’) possibly via Anglo-Norman primer (‘prayer book’), from prima (‘prime the liturgical hour and office’) + -arius and -arium (suffix forming related objects). Its use for schoolbooks derived from the late medieval and early modern use of such prayer books to teach reading.
Every English word from Middle English primer
Today it means
noun A prayer or devotional book intended for laity, initially an abridgment of the breviary and manual including the hours of the Virgin Mary, 15 gradual and 7 penitential psalms, the litany, the placebo and dirige forming the office of the dead, and the commendations.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English primer / primer