First things first. "Primeval" comes from the Latin words primus, meaning "first, and aevum, meaning "age." In Latin, those terms were brought together to form "primaevus," a word that means "of or relating to the earliest ages." Other English words that descend from "primus" include "prime" and "primary," "primordial" (a synonym of "primeval"), and "primitive." "Primus" also gave rise to some terms for folks who are number one in charge, including "prince" and "principal."
primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed
Recent Examples on the WebOne of Europe’s last old-growth forests spans the border of Belarus and Poland, a remnant of the vast primeval woods that once cloaked the European plain; most of it is now threatened by logging, despite its also being a World Heritage site.—Alexis Marie Adams, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024 Salopek tells me that he’s noticed something almost primeval about entering a community that is not your own by foot.—Sebastian Modak, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2023 The team explores whether the primeval microbes that built elaborate rock formations in an extensive cave system could be used for medical purposes.—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 Thus the primeval power of sudden darkness in the daytime could lead to some future hit tunes, action film sequences or fantasy novels.—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2024 Ancient history About 3,000 years ago, primeval lawmakers on the seafaring island of Rhodes faced a conundrum.—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024 The forests of the eastern United States are another puzzle: European settlers cut down 95 percent of the primeval woods, yet only four species of bird have gone extinct.—John Fleischman, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Enlarge Liu Yang On an island off the coast of New Zealand, in the shadows of a primeval forest, an eerie sound resonates through the night.—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2023 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Time slows to a primeval pace in this giant sequoia grove, where 275-foot-tall statesmen have watched the seasons come and go for more than 2,000 years.—Sarah L. Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primeval.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
primeve, in same sense, or its source, Late Latin prīmaevus "earliest, original, principal" (going back to Latin, "young, youthful," from prīmus "first, foremost, earliest" + -aevus, adjective derivative of aevum "age, lifetime") + -al entry 1 — more at prime entry 2, aye entry 3
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