Word of the Day

: January 9, 2008

primeval

adjective prye-MEE-vul

What It Means

: of or relating to the earliest ages (as of the world or human history) : ancient, primitive

primeval in Context

A small tract of land to the north contains the last remnants of the primeval forest that covered this region a thousand years ago.

Did You Know?

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."