prima Dutch · revision 37405

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1542 (as a noun)|origins=la prīmus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpri.maː/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prima''' (not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+ An informal variant is ''priem''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|it|prima|t=first]], the feminine of [[m|it|primo]], taken from phrases such as [[m|it|prima sorte|t=first sort, best wares]] and [[m|it|della prima classe|t=of the first class]].^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(Van der Sijs 2005) The Italian word continues [[la|prīmus|t=first]], from [[m|la|*prīsmos]], the superlative of Old Latin [[m|la|prī|t=before]], which is related to [[m|la|prae|t=before]] (see [[pre-]]).^(EWN)

+

+ In trade Italian supplied ⟨prima⟩, ⟨secunda⟩ and ⟨tertia⟩ “first, second, third” for grades of goods, and only the first survived.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal allows that the noun may come from Italian or from Latin, and thinks that the adjective was mostly abstracted from compounds such as [[primatabak]] “tobacco of the first grade”, understood as ⟨prima tabak⟩ “excellent tobacco”; the adverb grew out of the adjective.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The word is first recorded as a noun in 1542, for the first copy of a bill of exchange that was drawn up in several copies.^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(WNT) Weiland's dictionary of 1824 has ''prima-wisselbrief'' together with ''prima ballerina'' and ''prima donna''.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1860–1861 a trade text describes three grades of cotton, usually labelled ''prima'', ''secunda'' and ''tertia''.^(EWN)^(WNT) From such labels came ''van prima kwaliteit'' “of the best quality” (1868), and compounds like ''prima-tabak'' and ''prima-haring'' (both 1899) and ''prima-graan'' “the best brewing grain” (1926).^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) The adjective is attested by itself in 1896 (''prima soorten'') and was applied to a soap powder in 1900 and to rayon in 1919.^(WNT)^(EWN)

+

+ The general sense “excellent” followed, and by 1940 the adverb was used in ''alles prima in orde'' “everything in perfect order”.^(WNT) Koenen's dictionary of 1952 records ''(dat is) prima!'' “fine, all right”, and in colloquial use ''prima'' can now mean no more than “satisfactory”.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The word went into Indonesian as ''prima'' “first, finest”.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1542 – ''Prima'' is first recorded as a noun, “first bill of exchange”.^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+ * 1824 – Weiland lists ''prima-wisselbrief'', ''prima ballerina'' and ''prima donna''.^(EWN)

+ * 1860–1861 – Trade grades are labelled ''prima'', ''secunda'' and ''tertia''.^(EWN)

+ * 1868 – ''Van prima kwaliteit'' “of the best quality” is recorded.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1896 – The adjective is attested by itself in ''prima soorten''.^(WNT)

+ * 1899 – ''Prima-tabak'' and ''prima-haring'' appear.^(EWN)

+ * 1940 – The adverb is used in ''alles prima in orde''.^(WNT)

+ * 1952 – Koenen records the exclamation ''(dat is) prima!''^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|excellent]], very good: ''We hebben prima gegeten.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(informal)'' Fine, all right, satisfactory but not exceptional: ''Morgen om tien uur? Prima.''^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Well, fine: ''Het gaat prima met haar.''^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(commerce)'' The first copy of a [[m|en|bill of exchange]].^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[primatabak]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[it|prima]]

+ * [[la|primus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}