different between germinal vs primordial

English

Adjective

germinal (comparative more germinal, superlative most germinal)

1. Relating to spring
2. Pertaining, similar, or belonging to a germ.
3. (botany) Relating to a plant ovary
4. (figuratively) Serving as a point of origin; formative.

   My upbringing was the germinal idea behind the opera.

5. (figuratively) Highly influential; seminal. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Usage notes

In sense “highly influential”, primarily used as a consciously feminist alternative to male seminal (germ (“egg”) vs. semen).

Synonyms

• (relating to spring): vernal
• (relating to seed): seminal
• (influential): seminal

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• germinal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• germinal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• maligner, malinger

Catalan

Adjective

germinal (masculine and feminine plural germinals)

1. germinal

Noun

germinal m (plural germinals)

1. (historical) Germinal (the month).

French

Etymology

Taken from Latin germen, germinis (“sprout, bud”) +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???.mi.nal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Homophones: germinale, germinales, germinals

Adjective

germinal (feminine singular germinale, masculine plural germinaux, feminine plural germinales)

1. germinal

Noun

germinal m (plural germinals)

1. (historical) Germinal (the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar)

See also

• (French Republican Calendar months) mois du calendrier républicain; vendémiaire, brumaire, frimaire, nivôse, pluviôse, ventôse, germinal, floréal, prairial, messidor, thermidor, fructidor ^{(Category: fr:Months)}

Further reading

• “germinal” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• malingre

Romanian

Etymology

From French germinal.

Noun

germinal m (uncountable)

1. Germinal

Declension

Spanish

Adjective

germinal (plural germinales)

1. germinal

Noun

germinal m (plural germinales)

1. Germinal

English

Etymology

From the Latin pr?m?rdi?lis (“of the beginning”). Confer primordium and -al.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p?a??m??.di.?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /p?a??m??.di.?l/

Adjective

primordial (not comparable)

1. first, earliest or original

   • the primordial facts of our intelligent nature

2. (biology) characteristic of the earliest stage of the development of an organism, or relating to a primordium

   a primordial leaf; a primordial cell

3. primeval

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

primordial (plural primordials)

1. A first principle or element.

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pr?m?rdi?lis (“of the beginning”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?i.m??.djal/

Adjective

primordial (feminine singular primordiale, masculine plural primordiaux, feminine plural primordiales)

1. primordial, primitive, original
2. vital, essential, paramount, of paramount importance

Further reading

• “primordial” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

primordial (not comparable)

1. primordial

Declension

Further reading

• “primordial” in Duden online

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin pr?m?rdi?lis (“of the beginning”).

Adjective

primordial m or f (plural primordiais, comparable)

1. primordial (first, earliest or original)

   Synonym: primeiro

2. primary, main, paramount
   • 1982, Bernardo Soares, Livro do Desassossego, Vol.II

     Em mim o que há de primordial é o hábito e o jeito de sonhar.

   Synonyms: capital, essencial, importante

Derived terms

• primordialmente

Related terms

• primórdio

Further reading

• “primordial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French primordial

Adjective

primordial m or n (feminine singular primordial?, masculine plural primordiali, feminine and neuter plural primordiale)

1. primeval

Declension

Related terms

• primordialitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin pr?m?rdi?lis (“of the beginning”). Cognate with English primordial.

Adjective

primordial (plural primordiales)

1. primordial
2. primary, paramount

Related terms

• primordio

Further reading

• “primordial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.