Where does “primly” come from?

Primly derives from Middle English -ly, Latin primus meaning "first," and Proto-Indo-European per-, tracing ultimately to roots meaning "forward" or "first in order."

primly (English): In a prim manner

Definitions

  1. In a prim manner

Ancestry of “primly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishprimprudish, straight-laced; formal; precise;...
2Old Frenchprin—
3Latinprimusfirst
4Latinprismos—
5Latinprisemos—
6Proto-Italicpriisemosforemost, first
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European per- →Every word from Proto-Italic priisemos →