primitive adj

1 belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness; "the crude weapons and rude agricultural implements of early man"; "primitive movies of the 1890s"; "primitive living conditions in the Appalachian mountains" [syn: crude, rude]

2 little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type; "archaic forms of life"; "primitive mammals"; "the okapi is a short-necked primitive cousin of the giraffe" [syn: archaic]

3 used of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies; "primitive societies"

4 of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style; "primitive art such as that by Grandma Moses is often colorful and striking"

1 a person who belongs to early stage of civilization [syn: primitive person]

2 a mathematical expression from which another expression is derived

3 a word serving as the basis for inflected or derived forms; "`pick' is the primitive from which `picket' is derived"

English

Etymology

From primitif, from primitivus.

Pronunciation

Noun

1. An original or primary word; a word not derived from another; -- opposed to derivative.

Translations

• Chinese: 原始 (yuanshi)
• Dutch: primitief
• French: primitif
• German: ursprünglich
• Greek: πρωτόγονο (prōtogono)
• Italian: primitivo s, primitivi p,
• Japanese: 原始 (げんし, genshi)
• Korean: 원시 (wonsi)
• Latin: primitivum
• Portuguese: primitivo , primitiva
• Russian: примитивно (primitivno)
• Spanish: primitivo

Adjective

1. Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as, primitive innocence; the primitive church.
2. Of or pertaining to a former time; old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity; as, a primitive style of dress.
3. Original; primary; radical; not derived; as, primitive verb in grammar.
4. Occurring in or characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution.

Translations

• Chinese: 原始 (yuanshi)
• Dutch: primitief
• French: primitif , primitive
• Finnish: alkeellinen
• Greek: πρωτόγονος (prōtógonos) , πρωτόγονη (prōtógonē) , πρωτόγονο (prōtogono)
• Italian: primitivo m singular, primitiva f singular, primitivi m plural, primitive f plural
• Japanese: 原始的 (げんしてき, genshiteki)
• Korean: 원시 (wonsi)
• Latin: primitivus , primitiva , primitivum
• Polish: prymitywny , prymitywna , prymitywne
• Russian: примитивный (primitivny) примитивная (primitivnaya) , примитивно (primitivno)
• Spanish: primitivo , primitiva

French

Adjective

primitive

1. feminine of primitif

Italian

Adjective

primitive

1. Feminine plural form of primitivo

Primitive is a subjective label used to imply that one thing is less "sophisticated" or less "advanced" than some other thing. Being a comparative word it is also relative in nature.

Indigenous peoples and their beliefs and practices are sometimes described as "primitive", a usage that is seen as unhelpful and inaccurate by the vast majority of contemporary anthropologists and similar professionals.

There are also various political or theoretical concepts regarding the primitive condition, or its advocation. Primitive communism postulates a pre-agrarian form of communism. Anarcho-primitivism advocates a return to a primitive condition. Luddites had a related philosophy.

Primitive' may refer to:

• Anarcho-primitivism, an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization
• Primitive culture, one that lacks major signs of economic development or modernity
• Noble savage, uncorrupted by the influences of civilization
• Primitive communism, according to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
• Primitive Baptist, have an historical connection to an early 19th century controversy
• Primitive (biology), characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution, cf. basal

In mathematics:

• Primitive (geometry), the simplest kinds of figures
• Primitive element (field theory)
• Primitive cell (crystallography)
• Primitive polynomial, one of two concepts
• Primitive function or Antiderivative, F′ = f

In computer science:

• Machine code, instructions and data directly understandable by a CPU
• Primitive type, datatypes provided by a programming language
• Primitive (geometry), the simplest kinds of figures in computer graphics
• Cryptographic primitives, low-level cryptographic algorithms frequently used to build computer security systems

In art and entertainment:

• Naïve art, created by untrained artists
• Neo-primitivism, looks to early human history, folk art and non-Western or children's art for inspiration
• Primitive (song), by Cyndi Lauper
• Primitive (song), by The Groupies and covered by The Cramps
• The Primitives, a British indie rock band
• Primitive (album), by Soulfly
• Primitive Radio Gods, an American alternative rock band
• Primitivism, an early 20th century art movement

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