Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “primal” come from?

Primal derives from Medieval Latin primalis, from Latin primus meaning "first," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per-.

primal (English): Being the first in time or in history; Of...

Definitions

  1. Being the first in time or in history; Of...

Ancestry of “primal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPrime—
2Frenchprimereward; prize; bonus; premium
3Old Frenchprim—
4Latinprīmus—
5Latinprīsmos—
6Proto-Italicpriisemosforemost, first
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “primal”

  • primality
  • primally
  • subprimal
  • coprimality
  • semiprimality
  • nonprimal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →