Where does “primary” come from?
Primary derives from Latin primarius, formed with the Latin suffix -arius from a Proto-Italic root priisemos related to Proto-Indo-European per- meaning "forward" or "first."
primary (English): first or earliest in a group or series; main;...
Definitions
- first or earliest in a group or series; main;...
Ancestry of “primary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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 |
| 2 | Latin | prīmus | — |
| 3 | Latin | prīsmos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | priisemos | foremost, first |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |