Where does “primarily” come from?
Primarily derives from English primary, from Latin primarius, suffixed with Latin -arius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning first or foremost.
primarily (English): Of a primary or central nature, first and...
Definitions
- Of a primary or central nature, first and...
Ancestry of “primarily”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | primary | first or earliest in a group or series; main;... |
| 2 | Latin | prīmārius | One of the first, of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent, remarkable. It was used as the title of a position in universities |
| 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 |