entry
primitive
/ˈprɪmɪtɪv/original, early, or undeveloped
From Latin prim (first).
from Latin primitivus "first or earliest of its kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French primitif "very first, original" (14c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French primitif "very first, original" (14c.) and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin primitivus "first or earliest of its kind,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French primitif "very first, original" (14c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French primitif "very first, original" (14c.) and directly
+1 more sourceSomething odd happens when a word for "first" gets old enough: it starts judging everything else. Latin prīmus was just the straightforward idea of being first in line, but prīmitīvus grew into the notion of what comes before the rest, the original mold. By the late 1300s English had borrowed French primitif, and soon the word could praise the early church as pure and original, then later sneer at art or customs as simple and unsophisticated. That same little prim- family shows up in prime, primary, principal, and principality, all of them packed with the social power of being at the front. So when someone calls something primitive, they're really pointing at an old first draft of the world — the kind with the rough edges still on.
The Story
Something odd happens when a word for "first" gets old enough: it starts judging everything else. Latin prīmus was just the straightforward idea of being first in line, but prīmitīvus grew into the notion of what comes before the rest, the original mold. By the late 1300s English had borrowed French primitif, and soon the word could praise the early church as pure and original, then later sneer at art or customs as simple and unsophisticated. That same little prim- family shows up in prime, primary, principal, and principality, all of them packed with the social power of being at the front. So when someone calls something primitive, they're really pointing at an old first draft of the world — the kind with the rough edges still on.
Modern Usage
an insult meaning foolish, clueless, or acting in a basic way
Popularized by: online slang and Urban Dictionary usage
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary examples using primitive as a playful insult
Kin & Kindred
From 'prim'·first; foremost
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary