primer en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (UK) audio
- /ˈpɹɪm.əɹ/ (US)
- /ˈpɹaɪməɹ/ US, irregular, but common; borrowed from Etymology 2
- prĭmʹər (US)
- audio Midwestern
- prīʹmər US, irregular, but common; borrowed from Etymology 2
- (California) audio
- /ˈpɹaɪ.mə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- prīʹmə (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English primer, primere, from Medieval Latin primarius and primarium (“prayer book”) possibly via Anglo-Norman primer (“prayer book”), from prima (“prime the liturgical hour and office”) + -arius and -arium (suffix forming related objects). Its use for schoolbooks derived from the late medieval and early modern use of such prayer books to teach reading.
Meanings
- (historical) A prayer or devotional book intended for laity, initially an abridgment of the breviary and manual including the hours of the Virgin Mary, 15 gradual and 7 penitential psalms, the litany, the placebo and dirige forming the office of the dead, and the commendations.
- (historical) Any of various similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer.
-
A children's book intended to teach literacy: how to read, write, and spell.
Four-year-old Elizabeth Finkle-McGraw would receive the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer from her grandfather. Fiona Hackworth would be getting a copy of the Illustrated Primer too, for this had been John Percival Hackworth's crime: He had programmed the matter compiler to place the cockleburs on the outside of Elizabeth's book.
1995, Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age […] , New York: Bantam Spectra, →ISBN:
-
An introductory text on any subject, particularly basic concepts.
[...] The two assets of the book are clear explanation, and a multitude of extremely helpful diagrams, some in two colours, and cutaway photographs; these clearly unravel a difficult subject for the layman, as well as the student engineman for whom the primer is chiefly designed.
1959 March, “New Reading on Railways: The Railwayman's Diesel Manual. By William F. Bolton. G. H. Lake. 7s. 6d.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 172:
- (New-Zealand, obsolete) An elementary school class; an elementary school student.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| primers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
double great primer · two-line great primer · primer cord · long primer · great primer · primer book · primer school · primer-state
Synonyms
Translations (152)
be абэцэда́р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ga miontosach (children's book introducing basic literacy) · la abecedārium (introductory textbook) · eo aboco (introductory textbook) · nb ABC (children's book introducing basic literacy) · es silabario (children's book introducing basic literacy) · cmn 識字課本 /识字课本 (children's book introducing basic literacy) · id buku alfabet (children's book introducing basic literacy) · de Abecedarium (introductory textbook) · az əlifba (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ru а́збука (children's book introducing basic literacy) · he אַלְפוֹן (children's book introducing basic literacy) · fi aapinen (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ru абецеда́рий (introductory textbook) · rgn abezedêri (children's book introducing basic literacy) · it testo elementare (introductory textbook) · mk буквар (children's book introducing basic literacy) · it m (introductory textbook) · uk буква́р (introductory textbook) · uk а́збука (children's book introducing basic literacy) · pt abecedário (introductory textbook) · fi alkeet (introductory textbook) · hy այբբենարան (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ms buku abjad (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sh bùkvār (introductory textbook) · uk абе́тка (introductory textbook) · pl elementarz (children's book introducing basic literacy) · da ABC (children's book introducing basic literacy) · hu olvasókönyv (children's book introducing basic literacy) · be буква́р (introductory textbook) · de Abecedarium (children's book introducing basic literacy) · et aabitsaraamat (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sh бу̀ква̄р (introductory textbook) · be буква́р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · vi sách học vấn (children's book introducing basic literacy) · lv ābece (introductory textbook) · fi alkeiskirja (introductory textbook) · fr abécédaire (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ar كِتَاب تَمْهِيدِيّ (introductory textbook) · ja 入門書 (introductory textbook) · mn үсэглэл (children's book introducing basic literacy) · pl abecadło (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ota صوپره (introductory textbook) · pt cartilha (children's book introducing basic literacy) · et aabits (introductory textbook) · sl abecednik (children's book introducing basic literacy) · tt әлифба (children's book introducing basic literacy) · hy այբբենարան (introductory textbook) · hu ábécéskönyv (children's book introducing basic literacy) · kk әліппе (children's book introducing basic literacy) · it m (introductory textbook) · be леманта́р (introductory textbook) · vi sách vỡ lòng (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ota صوپره (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sv abc-bok (children's book introducing basic literacy) · tr abece (children's book introducing basic literacy) · vo lafababuk (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sv läsebok (children's book introducing basic literacy) · mk буквар (introductory textbook) · nl leesplankje (children's book introducing basic literacy) · cmn 識字課本 /识字课本 (introductory textbook) · el αλφαβητάριο (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sms aabbâs (introductory textbook) · tr alfabe (children's book introducing basic literacy) · et aabits (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sq abetare (introductory textbook) · ur قاعِدَہ (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nl abecedarium (introductory textbook) · it sillabario (children's book introducing basic literacy) · de Fibel (children's book introducing basic literacy) · uz alifbe (introductory textbook) · es abecé (introductory textbook) · hi वर्ण-माला की पुस्तक (children's book introducing basic literacy) · pt cartilha (introductory textbook) · cs slabikář (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nl abecedarium (children's book introducing basic literacy) · vi sách học vấn (introductory textbook) · fr abc (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nb abc-bok (children's book introducing basic literacy) · uk абе́тка (children's book introducing basic literacy) · fa-ira کِتابِ اَلِفْبا (children's book introducing basic literacy) · fr abc (introductory textbook) · he סֵפֶר אָלֶפְבֵּית (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nb ABC-bok (children's book introducing basic literacy) · es cartilla (children's book introducing basic literacy) · is stafrófskver (children's book introducing basic literacy) · tg китоби алифбо (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sk šlabikár (introductory textbook) · pl elementarz (introductory textbook) · el αλφαβητάρι (children's book introducing basic literacy) · uz alifbe (children's book introducing basic literacy) · lt abėcėlė (introductory textbook) · uk буква́р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · be леманта́р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · gv bun-lioar (introductory textbook) · ca beceroles (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ka ანბანი (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ru буква́рь (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sh bùkvār (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ru буква́рь (introductory textbook) · ca abecé (children's book introducing basic literacy) · fa-ira اَلِفْبا (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ky алиппе (children's book introducing basic literacy) · uk абецеда́рій (children's book introducing basic literacy) · szl ślabikorz (children's book introducing basic literacy) · es cartilla (introductory textbook) · ga bunleabhar (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ga priméar (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sh бу̀ква̄р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · it abbecedario (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nl abc-boek (children's book introducing basic literacy) · bg а́збучник (introductory textbook) · bg буква́р (introductory textbook) · ug ئېلىپبە (children's book introducing basic literacy) · de ABC-Buch (children's book introducing basic literacy) · fr abécédaire (introductory textbook) · cs slabikář (introductory textbook) · ko 입문서 (introductory textbook) · ro abecedar (children's book introducing basic literacy) · be а́збука (children's book introducing basic literacy) · de Abecedar (introductory textbook) · tk harplyk (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sh pòčetnica (children's book introducing basic literacy) · id bacaan asas (introductory textbook) · udi тӏетӏир (children's book introducing basic literacy) · bg буква́р (children's book introducing basic literacy) · ru а́збука (introductory textbook) · ca abecedari (children's book introducing basic literacy) · uk а́збука (introductory textbook) · sh по̀четница (children's book introducing basic literacy) · az əlifba kitabı (children's book introducing basic literacy) · mn үсэглэл (introductory textbook) · el αλφαβητάριο (introductory textbook) · lt pradžiamokslis (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sl abecednik (introductory textbook) · ro abecedar (introductory textbook) · ga uraiceacht (children's book introducing basic literacy) · es abecé (children's book introducing basic literacy) · nl eerste leesboek (children's book introducing basic literacy) · lv ābece (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sk šlabikár (children's book introducing basic literacy) · sq abetare (children's book introducing basic literacy) · es introducción (introductory textbook) · ga bunleabhar (introductory textbook) · ja 初等読本 (introductory textbook) · be а́збука (introductory textbook) · sv ABC-bok (children's book introducing basic literacy) · cmn 入門書 /入门书 (introductory textbook) · tg алифбо (children's book introducing basic literacy) · hu bevezető tankönyv (introductory textbook) · de ABC-Buch (introductory textbook) · hi प्राइमर (children's book introducing basic literacy)