Etymology

primrose

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Today it means: A flowering plant of the genus Primula. Full definition →

Middle English primerose ← Old French primerose ← Medieval Latin prima
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primrose · noun, adjective, verb1

  1. Medieval Latin · derived fromprima“first”
  2. Old French · derived fromprimerose
  3. Middle English · inherited fromprimerose
  4. English todayprimrose

From Middle English primerose, from Old French primerose, from Medieval Latin prima (“first”) + rosa (“rose”). The designation may derive from the fact that certain species of primroses are among the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring season.

Primrose · proper noun2

  1. Scottish Gaelic · derived fromprím“first”
  2. Proto-Brythonic · derived from*prenn“wood, tree”
  3. English todayPrimrose

The surname derives from a place name in Fife, Scotland; Watson (1926) derived this from Pictish/Proto-Brythonic *prenn (“wood, tree”) + *rros (“moor, heath”). Taylor instead argued for Scottish Gaelic prím (“first”) + ros (“promontory”). Changed by folk etymology because of phonetic resemblance to primrose. The given name is one of the 19th-century flower names.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.