primordial
adjective
Sir Winston Churchill
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The history of "primordial" began when the Latin words primus (meaning "first") and "ordiri" (meaning "to begin") came together to form "primordium," the Latin word for "origin." When it entered English in the 14th century, "primordial" was used in the general sense "primeval." Early on, there were hints that "primordial" would lend itself well to discussions of the earth's origins. Take, for instance, this passage from a 1398 translation of an encyclopedia called On the Properties of Things: "The virtu of God made primordial mater, in the whiche as it were in massy thinge the foure elementis were . . . nought distinguishd." Nowadays, primordial matter is often referred to in evolutionary theory as "primordial soup," a mixture of organic molecules from which life on earth originated.
Examples of primordial in a Sentence
Christian Holub, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Once on the ground visitors can enjoy Greenland’s rugged coastal landscapes, fascinating indigenous Inuit culture, and the opportunity to experience the country at its primordial best.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024
Are the primordial organic molecules in those clouds lost in the early days of a new solar system, blasted apart as young stars blaze to life?
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
Glass contains silica, as do sand and certain types of clay that would have been present on primordial Earth.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 30 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primordial. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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primordial
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