Etymology: Originally < classical Latin prīma first hour (in Roman reckoning), in post-classical Latin also office said at the first hour (6th cent.), use as noun (short for prīma hōra first hour) of feminine of prīmus prime adj.; subsequently reinforced by Anglo-Norman prime, prim and Old French, Middle French prime (French prime ) first canonical hour (first half of the 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman), office said at the first hour (second half of the 12th cent.) < classical Latin prīma . In subsequent use also partly < classical Latin prīmum first part, beginning, front line or position, first place, supremacy, (as plural, prīma ) the flower or cream of (use as noun of neuter of prīmus ); partly < classical Latin prīmus most notable or distinguished person, leading citizen (use as noun of masculine of prīmus ); and partly (in sense 5) < Anglo-Norman prime new moon (second half of the 13th cent. or earlier; apparently short for prime lune new moon: see prime adj.). Compare also classical Latin prīmae chief position, supremacy, use as noun (short for prīmae partēs first parts) of feminine plural of prīmus . Compare later prime adj.The Latin word was also borrowed into other Romance and Germanic languages. Compare Catalan prima (c1400), Spanish prima (early 13th cent. or earlier), Portuguese prima (13th cent.), Italian prima (1691; a possible 13th-cent. occurrence is of doubtful authenticity), all in sense 1, and Old Occitan prim beginning, first age (late 12th cent. or earlier), prima beginning, first age (c1200 or earlier), first canonical hour (c1225 or earlier). Compare also Middle Dutch prīme (Dutch priem , †prieme ), Middle High German prīme (German Prim , Prime ), Old Icelandic prím , (chiefly in compounds) prími , príma , Old Swedish prīm , (rare) prīma (Swedish prim , †prime ), Old Danish, Danish prim , all in sense 1, frequently also in sense 5, and occasionally (especially in Middle Dutch) in sense 2. Compare also Middle Low German prīme (masculine) new moon, leader, prince, prīme (feminine) first canonical hour, also office said at that hour. With sense 5 compare classical Latin primus (of the moon) new (in Vitruvius); the use as noun in this sense is apparently not paralleled in Latin. With senses 6, 7, 8, compare prime tide n. 2, prime time n.², prime temps n. With prime of age (see sense 9) compare classical Latin prīma aetātis (where prīma is neuter plural), recorded in an inscription. Most later senses of the English word are either not paralleled in French, or are first attested in French considerably later than in English; e.g., with sense 10 compare French prime first-rate item (1723 in prime de laine top-quality wool).

Etymology: < prime adj., probably partly after Middle French, French prime card game in which only four cards are dealt (1534 in Rabelais), winning hand in this game (end of the 16th cent.; both apparently after Italian primiera : see primero n.), twenty-fourth part of a grain (1611 in Cotgrave), first and principal recognized position in fencing (1653), symbol resembling an apostrophe and written to the right of a letter (1869 in Littré).With use in sense ‘sixtieth part of a degree’ (see sense 2a) compare Italian primo (a1572 in this sense), French prime (1765 in this sense). With sense 2b compare French prime (1691 in this sense).

Etymology: < prime v.² Compare earlier priming n.¹

Etymology: Origin unknown. Perhaps compare prime n.², prime adj.

Etymology: Origin unknown.Perhaps compare Dutch priem , German Pfriem preen n., although a connection with these would imply much earlier currency of the English word, and neither of them appears to be attested specifically in a use related to basket-making.

Etymology: Apparently < French prime (although this is apparently not recorded in dictionaries of French in this sense), further etymology uncertain: either a specific sense of prime premium, reward, prize (1620 denoting an insurance premium, 1759 denoting a lottery prize, 1801 denoting money paid for services rendered, 1935 or earlier denoting a prize given to the winner of a contest; < premium n.), or perhaps use as noun of prime prime adj.In form preem, representing the pronunciation of the French word.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman prime, prim and Middle French, French prime (now archaic or literary, except in a small number of fixed phrases: prime enfance , prime jeunesse earliest period of life, childhood, de prime abord in the first place, at first sight, de prime face at first sight) first, earliest (early 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman in primseir nightfall, literally ‘first evening’), early, young (early 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman in prime lune new moon (so also frequently in Old French and Middle French; compare prime n.¹ 5), mid 12th cent. in Old French in prime barbe first beard), primary, original (early 14th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman), excellent, first class (second half of the 14th cent., originally with reference to wool), maturing at an early age (15th cent. with reference to flowers) and its etymon classical Latin prīmus first in order of time, earliest, young, most notable or distinguished, chief, principal, of the best quality, first class, primary, fundamental, from which all else is derived, in post-classical Latin also designating a number that cannot be divided by any whole number (5th cent.: see prime number n.) < pri or prī before (see prior adj.) + -is- , reduced grade of the comparative suffix (see -er suffix³) + -mus (see -mo suffix, -most suffix) (compare Paelignian prismu , feminine adjective). Compare Old Occitan, Occitan prim (a1150 or earlier), Catalan prim (1250), Spanish primo (early 12th cent. or earlier), Portuguese primo (second half of the 13th cent.), Italian primo (beginning of the 13th cent.). Compare primer adj., premier adj., primary adj.In sense A. 4d after prime time n.² It has been suggested that sense A. 6 may be related to prime v.² (compare prime v.² 3a). However, it is also plausible to take it as a spec. sense development of the present word, influenced by prime n.¹ (compare prime n.¹ 7, 8, 9, all of which carry connotations of vigour, and hence perhaps sexual vigour and lustfulness).

Etymology: Apparently partly < prime n.¹, and partly < prime adj. With sense 1 compare Middle Dutch prīmen , Dutch †priemen , Middle Low German prīmen . With sense 2 compare French primer to take the initiative (1626), to outstrip, to have the upper hand over (a person) (1633), to dominate, to lord it over (a person) (1704 in primer sur ). With sense 3 compare earlier priming n.³It is unclear whether the following represents an earlier attestation of the word:c1350 (?c1300) Northern Passion (Rawl. C. 655) 140 Brede was þat is armes lay on, Oliue was it primed [a1325 Cambr. Gg 1.1: puruied] on. N.E.D. (1908) gives the pronunciation as (prəim) /prʌɪm/.