Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “primer” come from?

Primer derives from English prime, from Latin primarius meaning first or chief, itself formed from Latin prīmus with the agent suffix -ārius.

primer (English): A prayer or devotional book intended for laity,...

Definitions

  1. A prayer or devotional book intended for laity,...

Ancestry of “primer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
2Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
3Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
4Latin-āre—
5Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “primer”

  • megaprimer
  • transprimer
  • праймер
Every word from Chichewa iye →