Primus

See also: primus and prímus

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪməs/

Etymology 1

From Latin Prīmus, from prīmus (“first”).

Proper noun

Primus

1. (dated) A male given name.

Usage notes

• African-American slaves frequently had given names taken from classical Latin.

Etymology 2

From the trademark.

Noun

Primus (plural Primuses)

1. A Primus stove.
   • 1989, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by H. T. Willetts, August 1914, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 53:

     Varya walked past slowly, idly peeping into each of them. There was a vendor of Turkish delight and halvah. A haberdasher's stall. A cobbler. A whitesmith. A repairer of Primuses and oil stoves.

Anagrams

• purism

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīmus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpʁiːmʊs/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Noun

Primus m (strong, genitive Primus, plural Primi or (colloquial) Primusse)

1. (dated) top pupil of a class

   Synonyms: Klassenbester, Klassenerster

   • 1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, Buddenbrooks […] ‎^[1], Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, page 598:

     Ihre Cousins, die beiden Söhne des Staatsanwaltes Doktor Moritz Hagenström andererseits, von zarterer Konstitution und sanfteren Sitten, zeichneten sich auf geistigem Gebiete aus und waren Musterschüler, ehrgeizig, devot, still und bienenfleißig, bebend aufmerksam und beinahe verzehrt von der Begier, stets Primus zu sein und das Zeugnis Numero Eins zu erhalten.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of Primus [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Primus	die	Primi, Primusse
genitive	eines	des	Primus	der	Primi, Primusse
dative	einem	dem	Primus	den	Primi, Primussen
accusative	einen	den	Primus	die	Primi, Primusse

Further reading

• “Primus” in Duden online
• “Primus”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Latin

Etymology

From prīmus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈpriː.mʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈpriː.mus]

Proper noun

Prīmus

1. a Roman praenomen
2. a Roman cognomen

Usage notes

• Could be abbreviated PR or PRI.

See also

Roman praenomina: praenominaedit

• Amūlius
• Appius
• Aulus
• Camillus
• Decimus
• Decius
• Drūsus
• Faustus
• Flāvius
• Gāius
• Gallus
• Gnaeus
• Herius
• Hostus
• Kaesō
• Lūcius
• Mānius
• Mārcus
• Numerius
• Octāvius
• Opiter
• Postumius
• Prīmus
• Proculus
• Pūblius
• Quīntus
• Secundus
• Servius
• Sextus
• Spurius
• Tertius
• Tiberius
• Titus
• Vibius

Further reading

• 1896, James Chidester Egbert, Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions, London; Longmans, Green & Company, page 88:

  Although the common praenomina were employed in naming the first four sons, nevertheless the following were used, finally with loss of original meaning : Primus PR or PRI / Secundus. / Tertius (abbreviated in one instance), TERT / Quartus, QVAR or QVART / Quintus. / Sextus.
  Irregularities. a) Cognomina as Praenomina. In certain countries, notably Gallia Cisalpina, cognomina were at times used as praenomina. So, Maximus C. I. L. V. 5902, Rufus C. I. L. V. 7064, Firmus C. I. L. V. 7339. In the Augustan period this transfer in use, so that cognimina served as praenomina, is found in the names of members of the imperial family, and those of the nobility.

Old Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈprimus/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈprimus/

Proper noun

Primus m pers

1. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Primus (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	Primus	Primusy	Primusi, Primusové
genitive	Primusa	Primusú	Primusóv
dative	Primusu, Primusovi	Primusoma	Primusóm
accusative	Primusa	Primusy	Primusy
vocative	Primuse	Primusy	Primusi, Primusové
locative	Primusu, Primusovi	Primusú	Primusiech
instrumental	Primusem	Primusoma	Primusy

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916), “Primus”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění