English
primitive
Primitive comes from Latin prīmitīvus ‘first or earliest of its kind’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *prīzmos.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prīzmos‘foremost, first’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmus‘first’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmitīvus‘first or earliest of its kind’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400primitif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1831primitive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prīzmos‘foremost, first’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmus‘first’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīmitīvus‘first or earliest of its kind’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400primitif
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1831primitive
Earliest quotation: 1831, Noah Webster, New-Haven: “Division of words. Words are primitive or radical, and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, in front’
first, before, support, far, per, report, further, press, fear, price, opportunity, practice, port, pre, private, appreciate, afford, ford, forth, pregnant, prize, practical, precious, parade, par, praise, ferry, interpretation, pirate, fare, porch, pardon, privilege, interpreter, afar, prix, pore, petra, disparate, proton, 153 more
through Proto-Indo-European *préy ‘before, in front’
through Proto-Italic *prīzmos ‘foremost, first’
through Latin prīmus ‘first’
primary, premier, prime, primal, primate, primo, primacy, primus, 11 more
Today it means
noun An original or primary word; a word not derived from another, as opposed to derivative.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *prīzmos / primitive