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prim·u·la

(prĭmyə-lə)

See primrose.

[Short for Medieval Latin prīmula vēris, cowslip, primrose (literally, "little first one of spring") : Latin prīmula, little first one (from feminine of prīmulus, diminutive of prīmus, first; see PRIME) + Latin vēris, genitive of vēr, spring.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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