Where does “Prime” come from?
Prime (English) comes from French prime, from Old French prim, from Latin prīmus, from Latin prīsmos, from Proto-Italic priisemos, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “Prime”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | prime | reward; prize; bonus; premium |
| 2 | Old French | prim | — |
| 3 | Latin | prīmus | — |
| 4 | Latin | prīsmos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | priisemos | foremost, first |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “Prime”