"first" in seven languages
Meaningfirst
Spanish
/pɾiˈmeɾo/
inherited
Shortened to primer before a masculine noun: el primer día.
French
/pʁəmje/
inherited
fem.: première
Italian
/ˈprimo/
other source · Latin PRĪMUM 'first'
Portuguese
/pɾiˈmejɾu/
inherited
Romanian
/prim/
other source · Latin PRĪMUS (a modern Latinate loan, partly via Italian primo)
fem.: primă
Normally with the article in front: primul, prima. The older native ordinal întâi survives in dates: întâi decembrie.
Catalan
/pɾiˈme/
inherited
English
/fɝst/
native English · Old English fyrst
Watch out: false friends
primo (Spanish) means “cousin” · primo (Italian) means “first”
Both from Latin PRĪMUM 'first'. Spanish primo is short for primo hermano, from CONSOBRĪNUS PRĪMUS 'first cousin'.
The Latin ancestor
PRĪMĀRIUM‘of the first rank (from PRĪMUS)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and French use the longer PRĪMĀRIUS (-ĀRIUM → -ero, -ier); Italian kept plain PRĪMUS. Spanish primo survives as 'cousin' (first cousin).
English relatives: primary, premier (from PRĪMĀRIUS); prime (PRĪMUS)
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEs la primera vez que estoy en Roma.
- frC'est la première fois que je viens à Rome.
- itÈ la prima volta che vengo a Roma.
- ptÉ a minha primeira vez em Roma.
- roE prima oară când vin la Roma.
- caÉs la primera vegada que vinc a Roma.
- enIt's my first time in Rome.